IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I  1.1 
11.25 


WUil 

|U    116 


I 


7 


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r 


<%^  > 


Hiotographic 

Sciences 
Corporalion 


23  WEST  MAIN  STRKT 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14SS0 

(716)872-4303 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  IS/licroreproductions  /  institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiqu« 


Tschnicai  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notas  tacltniquas  at  bibliographii^uaa 


Tha  Instituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
originai  copy  avaiiabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographicaily  unlqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
raproduction.  or  which  may  aignificantly  changa 
tha  uaual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  balow. 


□    Colourad  covara/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


r~n   Covara  damagad/ 


D 


0 


D 
D 


D 


0 


Couvartura  andommagAa 


Covers  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  raataurte  at/ou  pallicuMa 


rn   Covar  titia  miaaing/ 


La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


r~n   Colourad  mapa/ 


Cartaa  g^ographiquaa  9n  coulaur 

Colourad  inic  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 


nn   Colourad  plataa  and/or  lliuatrationa/ 


Planchaa  at/ou  lliuatrationa  fi  coulaur 


Bound  with  othar  matarial/ 
RaliA  avac  d'autraa  documanta 


Tight  binding  may  cauaa  ahadowa  or  diatortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 

Laraliura  sarrte  paut  cauaar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
diatoraion  la  long  da  la  marga  intiriaura 

Blank  laavaa  addad  during  raatoration  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  poaaibla.  thaaa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
11  aa  paut  qua  cartainaa  pagaa  blanchaa  ajoutiaa 
lora  d'una  raatauration  apparaiaaant  dana  la  taxta. 
maia,  loraqua  cala  Atait  poaaibla,  caa  pagaa  n'ont 
paa  «t«  filmiaa. 


Thfl 
tol 


L'Inatitut  a  microfilm*  la  maillaur  axamplaira 
qu'il  lui  a  At*  poaaibla  da  aa  procurar.  Laa  details 
da  cat  axamplaira  qui  aont  paut-Atra  uniquaa  du 
point  da  vua  bibiiographiqua.  qui  pauvant  modifiar 
una  imaga  raproduita,  ou  qui  pauvant  axigar  una 
modification  dana  la  mAthoda  normala  da  filmaga 
aont  indiquAa  ci-daaaoua. 


r~]  Colourad  pagaa/ 


D 


Pagaa  da  coulaur 

Pagaa  damagad/ 
Pagaa  andommagiaa 


□   Pagaa  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Pagaa  raatauriaa  at/ou  pailiculiaa 

0   Pagaa  diacoiourad.  stainad  or  foxad/ 
Pagaa  dAcolortea.  tachatiaa  ou  piqui 


piquiak 

Pagaa  ditachiaa 

Showthroughy 
Tranaparanca 

Quality  of  prir 

QualitA  inigala  da  I'impraaaion 

Includaa  aupplamantary  matarii 
Comprand  du  material  suppiimantaira 

Only  adition  avaiiabia/ 
Saula  Mition  diaponibia 


I      I  Pagaa  datachad/ 

rri  Showthrough/ 

r~1  Quality  of  print  variaa/ 

I     I  Includaa  aupplamantary  matarial/ 

rn  Only  adition  avaiiabia/ 


Pagaa  wholly  or  partially  obacurad  by  arrata 
•lipa.  tiaauaa.  ate.  hava  baan  rafilmad  to 
anaura  tha  baat  poaaibla  imaga/ 
Laa  pagaa  totalamant  ou  partiallamant 
obacurciaa  par  un  fauillat  d'arrata.  una  palura, 
ate,  ont  M  filmiaa  i  nouvaau  da  fapon  A 
obtanir  la  maillaura  imaga  poaaibla. 


Th« 
poi 
ofi 
filn 


Ori 
bat 
tha 
aid 
oth 
lift 
aioi 
or  I 


Tht 
ahi 
T»\ 
wh 

Ma 

diH 
ant 
bai 
rigl 
raq 
ma 


Additional  commanta:/ 
Commantairaa  supplAmantairaa; 


Wrinkled  pages  may  film  slightly  out  of  focus. 


Thia  itam  ia  filmad  at  tha  raduction  ratio  chackad  balow/ 

Ca  document  ast  film*  au  taux  da  reduction  indiqu*  ci-daaaoua. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


V 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Th*  copy  fllm^  httr*  Iim  Imwi  raproduoMl  thanks 
to  th«  gmi«ro«ity  of: 

Douglas  Library 
Quaan's  Univarsity 


L'axamplaira  ffllmA  fut  raproduit  grica  A  la 
g4n«roalt*  da: 

Douglas  Library 
Quaan's  Univarsity 


Tha  Imagaa  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
poaaibia  conaldaring  tha  condition  and  iagibillty 
of  tha  original  copy  and  In  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacif icatlona. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  eovars  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  llluatratad  Impras- 
sion,  or  tha  back  covar  whan  approprlata.  All 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  llluatratad  Impraa- 
alon,  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  iilustratad  impraaslon. 


Tha  last  racordad  frama  on  aach  microficha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  — ^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  y  (moaning  "END"), 
whichavar  appllas. 


Laa  Imagas  auhrantas  ont  4tA  raprodultas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattat*  da  l'axamplaira  film*,  at  an 
conformiti  avac  las  condiitlons  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 

Laa  axamplalraa  originaux  dont  la  couvartura  an 
papiar  aat  ImprimAa  aont  flimte  an  commandant 
par  la  pramlar  plat  at  an  tarminant  salt  par  la 
darnlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'impraaaloh  ou  d'illuatratlon,  soit  par  la  sacond 
plat,  aalon  la  caa.  Toua  laa  autras  axamplairas 
originaux  sont  filmis  an  commandant  par  la 
pramlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'Impraaalon  ou  d'illuatratlon  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  darnlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  talla 
amprainta. 

Un  daa  symbolas  suh/ants  apparattra  fcur  la 
darnlAra  imaga  da  chaqua  microficha,  salon  la 
cas:  la  symbols  — »•  signifia  "A  SUIVRE",  la 
symbols  V  signlfis  "FIN". 


Maps,  platas,  charts,  ate,  may  ba  filmad  at 
diffarant  raduction  ratios.  Thosa  too  larga  to  ba 
antlraly  included  In  ona  axpoaura  ara  filmad 
baginning  in  tha  uppar  laft  hand  corner,  laft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  framaa  aa 
raqulrad.  Tha  following  diagrama  illuavrata  tha 
mathod: 


Las  cartas,  pianchas,  tableaux,  ate,  pauvant  Atra 
filmte  A  daa  taux  da  reduction  diff Aranta. 
Loraqua  la  document  aat  trap  grand  pour  Atra 
raproduit  en  un  aaui  clichA,  il  est  fllmA  A  partir 
da  i'angia  supArleur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  baa,  en  prenant  la  nombre 
d'Imagaa  nAcaaaalra.  Lea  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrant  la  mAthode. 


12  3 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

.  -I'-m 


i:  -  ■ 


THE  AWFUL  DISCLOSURES 


OF 


MARIA  MONK, 


AND 


MYSTERIES  OF  A  CONVENT. 


^r^  m  4'*'^  ^'z'^j^Pf!^^!i^^^:^^i^if^ff^g^ 


i-'^!^,i^.^-t 


m-.    ■ 


w 


.■■'f 


i^l 


». 


■*W*i««r.V«»dJ', 


AWDl  DISCLOSURES 


OF 


MARIA  MONK. 


AND 


THRILLING 


isd: 


STS 


•4  given  tf 


OF  A 


CONVENT  REVEALED  I 


PHILADELPHIA: 

X.  B.  psiEBsoir,  101,  ORESssm  nsm. 


^t'^x\(0MiAy  /hd 


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^ 
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Preface. 


V 


iTlttobthopadfhalflMfMdwofllMMiMdiif  BteniiiYt  wmaolnfpoit. 
tbalttlM  ft flotlQii,  or tiMil  the N«aM  and ptnou thai Z hav* d«UiiMt«d, 
haanolawalwtotmoa.  Itiaa]Md«iir0d,tbatthaaailioroftiilaTol«B« 
maybaNgaMadnoftaaaTOlimtaiy  partidpator  in  fha  Tiiy  gnillif  tnoii- 
•eHoiM  wbioh  an  daaoiibed ;  butnoaiTa  qnnpathj  for  fha  tiiala  whlsh  aha 
haaaadiuad,  aadtha  paonliar  litaaUon  in  wbioh  hor  part  aq^arianeof  and 
oiaapa  from  tho  powar  of  tha  Saparior  of  tha  HoM  IMao  Hmiiiarj,  at  Xob- 
tnal,  and  tha  mm*  of  tba  Boman  Pritita  In  OmaJA,  ha,v  lafl  bar, 

Uf  IboUngi  ara  fraqnantly  distwMad  and  agltatad  bf  tba  nooUaotlott  ol 
what  I  bara  palled  thnmgh;  and  by  night  and  bj  day  I  hava  Uttla  paaaa 
of  mind,  and  turn  period!  of  oalm  and  pleaaing  lefleetion.  Fatuity  alto 
appeaiB  ^ineertain.  I  know  not  what  zeoeption  this  little  woik  may  meat 
with,  and  what  will  be  tba  eflfootof  its  pnblioation  bate  or  in  Canada, 
among  ittangen,  fHendi,  or  enemiea.  I  baTo  given  the  world  the  tmih, 
•oftraa  I  ha?agone,  on  sabJeote  of  which  I  fin  told  tbey  are  genanlly  if- 
noianti  and  Z  &el  perfbetconfldenoe,  that  any  Iketi  wbi<4i  mayyet  badia- 
ooveredf  will  oonflim  my  wordi  wbenerer  they  oan  be  obtained.  Whoerer 
shall  explore  the  Hotel  Dieu  Nunnery  at  IContreal,  will  And  wKLoestion- 
Oble  evidence  that  the  desoriptioni  of  the  interior  of  that  edifloe^  given  in 
this  book,  were  fiimished  by  one  fimiliar  with  them }  for  whatever  altera- 
tions may  be  attempted,  there  are  obaages  wbioh  no  mason  or  oarpenter 
oan  make  and  effootoally  oonoeil;  and  therefore  there  must  be  planttftil 
evidence  in  that  Institution,  of  tha  truth  oT  my  desoription. 

Than  araJliving  witnesses,  also,  who  ought  to  bemada  to  speak,  withoul 
fbiir  of  ptnanoes,  torturei^  and  death,  and  possibly  their  testimony  ataoma 
ft:.tare  time^  nuqr  be  added,  to  oonflrm  my  statementa  Them  aza  witnesses 
^I  should  greatly  njoioe  to  see  at  liberty;  or  rather  there  nwra.  Arathoy 
Uvtsgnowt  orwillthey  ba  permitted  to  live  after  the  Priests  aadSupe- 
rioia  have  seen  this  bookt  Perhaps  the  wretehednuna  in  tha  oaUs  have 
aliaady  soffnad  for  my  sska— pariiaps  Jane  Bay  has  bean  sDaaaed  Ibraver, 
«r  win  be  murdered,  befoia  dmhaa  timatoaddlisrmosi  important  tisti* 


^Qeedy  death  in  relation  only  to  this  woild,  can  ba  no  great  ealam- 
itytattoaawholeadflwlifoofanmk  The mevaraeoUeetlott  of  It  always 
imemlacraUe.    It  would  distress  tha  readir,  ihonU  I  repeat  tha 


% 


30^*5  .:;^S2a 


FnAuMk 

wMkwUakZmoflHilMrifltdatalgMt  ftt  Z 
BjrMlf pwnMd  hf  Ih*  w«nl  mmbImi  fNVMBtty  I  tmm  m  tt  ffiA  ahat 
«piaih»OM?tBt|  oft«iXlauiglMiByMlfpnMaltttk«nf«IUIoa«f  th« 
wsolMMMilhiitZlMVtJdBtodatordMoribtd.  •omtltmM  Z  itead  bf tk* 
•teralplaMoriDtanuBtlatlMedlart  fooMtimM  Z  think  I  oui  hMurlh* 
■hiliks«fthalMlpUMfbiBalMiBtlMluui4iof  atrodoui  bw  ;  MidMBM- 
tlB«alinoiliMm  MiiuUyto  look ■fdn upoa  th«MlmM>d  pkwIdllMF 
InrM  of  Bt.  IhmoMy  m  dio  appoond  whon  rairoandod  ky  bor  nohUnn. 

Z  flMBol  haaUh  Iho  ao«MO  aad  duurkolor  of  thli  book  flrom  my  atmotj. 
ToBotlOMMTor  onpctt  UkoMi  MnailDff  fUblo, or loM  lUlaiiiwIaad 
toportMioOi  Thoitorjis  OMwbkh  !•  oontlniMUy boforo m«^  Midmiiil 
ntoni  frMb  to  nj  mind,  with  polnftal  «iiiollon%  m  long  m  Z  Uto.  With' 
tinii^aad  Obiiitton  iMtrnotloa,  and  tht  lympfttbj  ud  oamploo  effho 
wiM Md  good,  Z  bopo  to  loom  nibmiiilvoly  to bOMTirbatmr  trUlf  aro ap- 
pointod  moi  and  to  Improro  undor  tbom  alL 

ZaprMMdaaZ  oonttnoallj am  with  tbo  Mi^ttalnaUty  of  tbopalnlbl 
oommnkatloiui  that  Z  bato  mado  in  tblavolnmOy  Z  can  only  oflir  to  All 
ponona  wbo  may  doubt  or  dlibelloTt  my  itaUmontt,  thoM  two  thlnga  t— 

Fmnilt  mo  to  |0  tbrongb  tbo  Hotel  Dion  Nunnery  at  iContraal,  with 
aomo  Impartial  ladloi  and  gentlemen,  tbat  they  may  comparo  my  aooount 
with  tbo  Interior  parte  of  the  building,  into  wbioh  no  penoni  but  the  Bo- 
man  Biahop  and  Pilcoto  are  eror  admitted;  and  if  they  do  not  And  my  do- 
Boilpliontmet  thM  dieoard  me  ae  an  impoetor.  Bring  me  before  a  eonrt 
of  Juatloo—tbere  Z  am  wiUlngto  meet  Zatargut,  D^fttm*,  FhtUm^  JMilik, 
anA  SUkqri$t  and  their  wicked  companioni,  with  the  Superior,  and  any 
of  the  nnna,'  beftwe  a  thonmnd  men. 

VABIAMONX. 
Jf(NO  7ort,JaiitM»yll|  183fk 


.^4 


iftht 


BOIJ« 

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With' 

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wUb 
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iBo- 
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Mnirt 


■ay 


,. 


AWFUL  DISCLOSURES 


OF 


ohafubb  I. 


SABLT  siooujMnoira. 

BmIt  lifb— Rallriou  EdoMtion  MglMted-— Flnt  School— Entmnot  taito  tTi« 
BoMol  of  the  Oongngatlonal  Nnnnerj— Brief  Account  of  the  NnaaeriM 
In  Montreal— The  OongregfttUnud  Niumery— The  Blaok  Nunnery- nie 
Orqr  Nannerjr— PnbUo  Beipeot  for  theie  Inititatione— InitroolMni  f»* 
oelTed— TheOateohiim— The  Bible. 

Mt  puvnto  wer«  both  from  Scotland,  bat  had  been  roridont  in 
the  Lower  Ganada  lomo  time  before  tneir  marriage,  which  toolc 

flaoe  in  Montreal,  and  in  that  city  I  hare  spent  moit  of  mj  life, 
waa  bom  at  St.  John's,  where  they  lired  for  a  short  time.  My 
father  was  an  officer  nnder  the  British  GoTcmment,  and  mj  mo- 
ther has  enJoTed  a  pension  on  that  account  ever  since  his  death. 

According  to  my  earliest  redolleotions,  he  was  attentiTe  to  his 
family,  and  had  a  peculiar  passage  from  the  Bible,  which  often 
occurred  to  me  in  after  life.  I  may  yerv  probably  have  been 
taught  by  him,  as  after  his  death  I  did  not  recollect  to  haTcre- 
ceiTcd  inj  initruotion  at  home,  and  was  not  even  brought  unto 
read  the  Doriptnres ;  my  mother,  although  nominally  a  Protes- 
tant not  being  accustomed  to  pay  attention  to  her  children.  She 
was  rather  Inclined  to  think  well  of  the  Oatholics,  and  often  at- 
tended their  churches.  Tomy  want  of  religious  instruction  at 
home,  and  the  ignorance  of  my  Oreator  and  mr  duty,  which  was 
its  natural  effect,  I  think  lean  trace  my  introduction  to  couTents^ 
and  tiie  scenes  which  I  am  to  describe  in  the  following  narrattTe* 

When  about  six  or  soTcn  years  of  age,  I  went  to  school  to  a  Mr* 
Workman,  a  Protestant,  who  taught  in  Sacrament  street,  and  re- 
mained scTeral  months.  There  I  learned  to  read  and  write,  and 
arithmetic  as  far  as  division.  All  the  progress  I  ever  made  in 
those  branchee  was  gained  in  that  school,  as  I  have  never  Impro- 
Ted  la  anj  of  them  mice. 

A  numoer  of  girls  of  my  acquaintance  went  to  school  to  the 
nans  of  the  Oongr^pttional  Nunnerv,  or  Sisters  of  Oharity,  ae 
th^  are  sometimes  called.  The  senools  tanght  by  them  are  per- 
haps more  nnmerons  than  some  of  my  readers  may  imajpne. 
Kuns  afo  sent  out  from  that  oonventtomany  of  the  towns  and 
TQlagee  ci  Canada  to  teach  small  schools ;  and  some  of  them  are 
established  as  instructresses  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States. 
WhenJE  waa  about  ten  years  old,  my  mother  asked  me  one  day  If 
lAoudiiotlilwtoleajrntoreaaaiia  write  French,  and  iheni 

7 


^:^' 


8 


iwM  Bi8oIiMnix8B  <if  Xaria  Monk. 


began  to  fhink  Mfiood/  of  attoncUng  fho  Mhod  in  tlio  Oon^wga- 
tlonal  Naunoij.  Ihadalxesd/ioinoaoqaaiDtMioewiththMUui- 
guago,  ■offident  to  ipesk  it  a  uttlo,  M I  noud  it  OTtt/  day,  and 
my  mothor  knew  eomething  of  it. 

I  hare  a  distinet  recollection  of  my  first  entrance  into  the  Nnn- 
nery ;  and  the  day  waa  an  important  one  in  my  life,  aa  on  it  oom- 
meooed  my  aoqoaintanoe  with  a  convent.  I  waa  oondnoted  by 
some  of  my  young  friends  along  Notre  Dame  street,  till  we  reach- 
ed the  gate.  Entering  that,  we  walked  sofiie  distance  along  the 
dde  of  a  building  towards  a  chapel,  until  we  reached  a  door,  atop* 
ped,  and  rung  a  bell.  This  was  soon  opened,  and  entering,  we 
proceeded  through  a  long  covered  passage  till  we  took  a  snort 
turn  to  the  left,  soon  after  which  we  reached  the  door  of  the  sdiool- 
room.  On  my  entrance,  the  Superior  met  me,  and  told  me  first 
of  all  that  I  must  dip  my  fingers  into  the  holy  water  at  her  door, 
cross  myself,  and  say  a  short  prayer ;  and  this  she  told  me  was  al- 
ways required  of  Protestaut  as  well  as  Catholic  children. 

There  were  about  fifty  girls  in  the  school,  and  the  nuns  profes- 
sed to  teach  something  of  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  and  geo* 
graphy.  The  methods,  however,  were  very  imperfect,  and  uttle 
attention  was  devoted  to  them,  the  time  being  m  a  great  degree 
engrossed  with  lessons  in  needle-work,  which  was  penormed  with 
much  skill.  The  nuns  had  no  very  regular  parts  assigned  them 
in  the  management  of  the  schools.  They  were  rather  rough  and 
unpolished  in  their  manners,  often  exclaiming,  "  O'est  un  menti," 
(that* s  a  lie,)  and  '*  mon  Dieii,"  (my  Qod,)  on  the  most  trivial  oc- 
casions. Their  writing  was  quite  poor,  and  it  was  not  uncommon 
for  them  to  put  a  capital  letter  in  the  middle  of  a  word.  The 
only  book  of  geography  which  we  studied,  was  a  catechism  of 
geography,  from  which  we  learnt  by  .heart  a  few  questions  and 
answers.  We  were  sometimes  referred  to  a  map,  but  it  was  only 
to  ij^int  out  Montreal  or  Quebec,  or  some  other  prominent  name, 
while  we  had  no  instruction  beyond. 

It  may  be  necessary,  for  the  information  of  some  of  my  readers, 
to  mention,  that  there  are  three  distinct  Oonvents  in  Montreal, 
all  of  different  kinds— that  ia,  founded  on  different  plans,  and  go- 
verned by  different  rules.    Their  names  are  as  follows : — 

1.  The  Congregational  Nuunery. 

2.  The  Black  Nunnery,  or  Convent  of  Sister  Bourgeoise. 

3.  The  Grey  Nunnery. 

The  first  of  these  professes  to  be  devoted  entirely  to  fhe  edu- 
cation of  girls.  It  would  require,  however,  only  a  proper  exami- 
nation to  prove,  that  with  the  exception  of  needle* work,  hardly 
auything  is  taught  excepting  prayer  and  catechism ;  the  instruc- 
tion in  reading,  writing,  &o.,  in  fact,  amounting  to  very  littl^ 
and  often  to  nothing.  This  Convent  is  adjacent  to  the  next  to 
be  spoken  of,  beine  separated  from  it  only  bv  a  wall.  The  to- 
cond  professes  to  be  a  charitable  institution  for  the  care  of  the 


and  tiie  number  of  inmates. 

The  Orey  Nunnery,  which  is  situated  in  a  distant  part  of  fha 
city,  is  also  a  large  edifice,  containing  departments  for  the  oar* 
of  Insane  persons  and  foiw^^ings.  With  this,  ^owever,  I  haira 
less  personal  acquaintance  «;r  ^n  with  either  of  tnl  others.  I  have 
oftei),iien  two  of  the  Qrey  nuns,  and  know  their  ralw,  m  wall  at 


.ii:iiiiiiwiirtiinirriirfl>lirwii>ww  iljataaaifc-. 


IwM  BisQioBnxqi  of  Xarla  XbnL 


9 


thoaeof  th«  OongrsgatioiMl  Nonnery:  th^  do  jiot  oonfln*  fham 
«lw«yi  wittdn  their  walla,  lik«  thoM  of  th«  Black  Nonnafj.  Thaao 
two  OonTenta  hare  their  commou  naiaaa  (Black  and  Ghraj)  from 
the  coloara  of  the  dreaaea  worn  by  their  inmatea. 

In  all  theae  three  Ckmrenta  there  are  certain  apartmenta  into 
which  atrangera  can  gain  admittance,  bnt  otherafrom  which  they 
are  alwaya  exdudea.  In  all,  large  quantitiea  of  variona  oma« 
menta  are  made  by  the  nnna,  whicb  are  expoaed  for  aaie  in  the 
OmameiU  BooaUf  and  afford  larj^e  pecuniary  receipta  every  year, 
which  contribnte  mnch  to  their  income.  In  theae  rooma.  Tiaitora 
often  pnrohaae  anoh  thinga  aa  pleaae  them,  from  aome  of  the  old 
and  confidential  nuna  who  have  the  charge  of  them. 

Vtom  all  that  appeara  to  the  public  eye,  the  nuna  of  theae  Oon- 
Tenta are  deyoted  to  the  charitable  object  appropriated  to  each, 
the  labour  of  making  differenbarticlea  known  to  oe  manufabtnr- 
ed  by  them,  and  the  religiona  obaerrancea,  which  occupy  a  large 
portion  of  their  time.  They  are  regarded  with  much  reapeot  by 
the  people  at  large;  and  now  and  then  when  a  novice  takeathe 
TciL  ahe  ia  auppoaed  to  retire  from  the  temptationa  and  trouble 
of  thia  world  into  a  state  of  holy  secluaion,  where,  by  prayer,  aelf* 
mortification,  and  good  deeds,  she  preparea  herself  for  heaven. 
Sometimes  the  Superior  of  a  Oonvent  obtains  the  character  of 
working  miracles:  and  when  such  an  one  dies,  it  ia  published 
through  the  country^  and  crowds  throng  the  Oonvent,  who  think 
indnlgences  are  to  be  derived  from  bits  of  her  dothea  and  other 
thinga  she  has  possessed ;  and  many  have  sent  articles  to  be 
touched  to  her  bed  or  chair,  in  which  a  degree  of  virtue  is  thought 
to  remain.  I  used  to  participate  in  such  ideas  and  feelings,  and 
began  by  degrees  to  look  npbn  a  nnn  as  the  happiest  of  women, 
and  a  Oonvent  as  the  most  peaceful,  holy,  and  delightful  place  of 
abode.  It  is  true,  s6me  pains  were  taken  to  impress  such  views 
upon  me.  Some  of  the  priests  of  the«  Seminary  often  visited  the 
Congregational  Nunnery,  and  both  catechised  and  talked  with 
na  on  religion.  The  Superior  of  the  Black  Nunnery  adjoining, 
also,  occaaionally  came  into  the  school,  and  enlarged  on  the  ad- 
vantage we  enjoyed  in  having  such  teachers,  and  dropped  some- 
tUngnow  and  then  relating  to  her  own  convent,  calculated  to 
make  na  entertain  the  highest  ideaa  of  it,  «nd  make  ua  sometimes 
think  of  the  jpossibility  of  getting  into  it. 

Among  the  instructions  given  to  us  by  the  priests,  some  of  the 
most  pointed  were  directed  againat  the  FrotestantBible.  They 
often  enlarged  upon  the  evil  tendency  of  that  book,  and  told  us 
that  but  for  it  many  a  soul  condemned  to  hell,  and  suffering  eter- 
nal punishment,  might  have  been  in  happiness.  Thej  could  not 
aav  anything  in  its  favour ;  for  that  would  be  speaking  against 
religion  and  against  Otoi.  They  warned  ns  against  its  woe,  and- 
repreaented  it  as  a  thing  very  dangerous  to  our  souls.  In  confir- 
mation of  this,  they  would  repeat  some  of  the  anawera  tauaht  na 
at  catechism ;  a  few  of  which  I  will  here  give.  We  had  little 
cateohisma,  ("Lea  Fetita  Oatechismes")  put  into  our  hands  to 
atady ;  but  tne  priests  soon  began  to  teach  us  a  new  set  of  an- 
awera, which  were  not  to  be  found  in  our  hooka,  from  aome  of 
which  I  have  received  new  ideas,  and  got,  as  I  uionght,  impor- 
tant light  on  religious  subjects,  which  confirmed  me  more  in  my 
belief  m  the  Boman  Oatholic  doctrines.  Those  questions  and  an- 
awera I  can  atill  recall  with  tolerable  accuracy,  and  aome  of  them 
I  will  add  here.  I  never  have  read  them,  aa  we  were  taught  them 
only  by  word  of  mouth. 


10 


kMfi&  Mstkit^tmMW^  ^'^^' 


*'iiimUmt,'Potq!aeiUUm  JUtaa'ftpM  fill  ton  lit  «omiiuad«- 
flMiiaf*^<*iZ0VeitM.  PlMMqmVhomBMa'MtipMaii  iort^a'il 
p^tnHw  tout  MM  oi>miiMi|d«m«iu.'' 

^    **  QiUMtion,    Ytlty  did  not  God  mi^  all  Um  oomouuidiiMats  P" 
— "^«M00r.   Beoaaw  man  ii  not  ftrong  «noiigh  to  kaep  tham.*'^ 

And  ADothor :  **  Q.  Poraaoi  I'liomma  na  lit  pM  I*  BTaogila  r'«r^ 
"A,  Paraa  qoa  I'ei^rtt  dfrl'lkomme  aittropbrania  at  tropfaiUa. 
poor  ooinnreadxa  iqa'aat  oa  qoa  Diea  a  dcrit." 

**  Q.  Why  aia  men  not  to  zaad  tha  New  Testament  ?*-^**4k 
Baoanaa  tha  mind  of  man  ia  too  limited  and  weak  to  andajnrtanicV 
what  God  haa  written/' 

Thaiaqnastionaand.answanaranot  to  ba  found  in  thaaoo^- 
mon  cataehiema  m  naa  in  Montreal  and  oth^  places  where  I  iMKve 
beoi,  hnt  all  the  ohildi|sn  in  the  Ooogre^tioaal  Nunnery  waca 
taught  thenii  and  many  more  not  found  in  these  hooka* 


;  OHAFTEBH. 

OONOBBaATIOirAL  MUANJSKT* 

Story  told  by  a  Fellow  Ftt|dl  against  a  Priast  -Other  Storlea-^Pretty  Mary 
--Oonfessto  Fktthar  lUobitrds^My  subsequent  oonfesdoa— Instmo* 
tions  in  the  Catechism. 

Thxbb  waa  a  girl  thirteen  years  old  whom  I  knew  in  tha  achool; 
who  resided  in  the  neighbourhood  of  my  mother,  and  with  whom 
I  had  been  fanuliar.  She  told  me  one  day  at  school,  of  tha<»n<» 
duct  of  a  priesewith  her  at  confession,  at  which  I  was  astoiush* 
ed.  It  waa  of  so  crimiinal  and  shameful  a  nature,  I  could  hardly^ 
belieye  it,  and  yet  I  had  so  much  confidenoe  that  she  apokatha 
truUk,  mxat  I  could  not  discredit  it.    • 

^  She  was  partly  persuaded  by  the  priest  to  believe  he  oonld  not 
■in,  because  he  was  a  priest,  aod  that  anything  he  did  to  half 
would  sanctify  her ;  and  yat  she  seemed  somewhat  doubtful  how 
she  should  act.  A  pdeaL  she  had  been  told  by  him,  ia  a  holy 
man,  and  appointed  to  a  holy  office,  and  therexore  what  would 
be  wUdced  in  other  men,  could  not  be  so  in  him.  She  told  ma  aha 
had  informed  her  mother  of  it,  who  expressed  no  anger  nor  ^a* 
approbation;  but  only  enjoined  it  upon  her  not  to  speak  of  it ; 
and  remarked  to  her,  aa  priests  were  not  like  men,  but  holy,  aaa 
aeut  to  instruct  and  aav a  us,  whatever  they  did  waa  right. 
^  I  afterwards  coofessed  to  the  priest  that  I  had  heard  tha  alory, 
and  had  a  penance  to  perf onnior  indulging  a  sinful  ourioaity  m 
nuJEing  inquiries;  and  the  girl  had  another  for  oommunioatingit* 
I  afterwards  learnt  that  other  children  had  been  treated  in  tha 
same  manner,  and  also  of  similar  proceedings. 

Indeed  it  was  not  long  before  such  language  was  used  to  me, 
and  I  well  remembi.£  how  my  views  of  right  and  wrong  w«a 
shaken  by  it.  Anothw  girl  at  the  school,  from  a  place  above 
Hontiaal,  ealled  the  Lac,  told  me  the  following  story  of  what  haA 
ooeurvad  recently  in  th^  vioinitv.  A  young  squaw,  oaUad  Jla 
Belle  Harie,  (vnttj  Mary,)  had  Seen  seen  gomg  to  oonfeanon  ai 
tha  house  of  the  pnest,  who  lived  a  little  out  of  thevillaga.  Xa 
BsllaMuia  waa  afterwards  missed,  and  her  mtutderad  body  waa 
found  in  ttia  river.  A  knife  waa  also  found  bearing  the  priast^a 
nama.  Great  indignation  waa  exdted  among  thalndii^^and 
the  ptieat  iaunadiatuy  absoondad,  and  waa  never  heacd  ficoaou  A 
note  waa  found  oa  hiitaUa  addressed  to  him,  tolling  him  tofly, 
if  ha  waa  galltf. 


V- 


ipp 


.i  '!>liAia'JII»U.)^ilitf»Mja^  ■>!  at/^-^  -''til 


MM  Mg/f^^mm  of  Ibria  lonL 


11 


V 


■>A 


. 


UwM  fonpoNdtiuil;  "  pilait  wm  taaieEiil  fluit  Ui  Modnol 
might  be  b«n»7«d  bjf  thkA  jroiuiglnulA;  sad  he  nndartook  to 
dMur  bimMlf  Iqr  kflling  hur. 

ThMtit<niM  •tniekiiwwiihtiiiptia6atflnt,J>at  IgndoallT 
htgwtoleel  diflarantlj,  «T0a  tappodng  them  tnie,  and  tolO(»: 
upon  the  prieete  li  men  inoapable  of  no. ;  berides.  when  I  flnt 
W«Bt  to  oonfaMi  whieh  I  did  to  lather  lEUohmrde  in  the  old  SVeneh 
cihnxdh,  linoe  tajcen  down,  I  heard  nothing  improper ;  and  it  was 
not  vntil  I  had  been  Mveraltimei  that  the  priens  beeamemore 
and  more  bcdd.  and  were  at  length  indecent  in  ttieir  aueitiona, 
•ad  even  in  ueir  ocndnot  when  I  confessed  to  them  in  the  Sa- 
etiirtii.  Thia  sabiect,  I  believe,  it  not  understood  nor  sospeeled 
among  Fsrotestants ;  and  it  is  not  my  intention  to  speak  of  ft  T«rj 
partieidaily,  because  it  is  impossible  to  do  eo  wtttiout  saying 
things  both  shameful  and  demoralising. 

Z  will  only  say  here,  that  when  quite  a  child,  I  heard  from  the 
months  of  the  priests  at  oonf  ession  what  I  cannot  repeat,  with 
treatment  oorroMponding ;  and  scTeral  females  in  Oanaaa  have  aa> 
sored  me  that  they  have  repeatedly,  and  indeed  regularly,  been 
VMuired  to  answer  the  same  and  other  like  questions,  many  of 
wMiii  meseiit  to  thtf  mind  deeds  which  the  most  iniquitous  and 
oormpt  heart  could  hardly  iuTent. 

There  was  a  frequent  diange  of  teachers  in  the  school  of  the 
Nunnery,  and  no  regular  system  was  pursued  in  our  instruction, 
niere  were  many  nuns  who  came  and  went  while  J  was  there, 
bdng  frequently  called  in  and  out  without  any  perceptible  rea- 
son. They  supply  school  teachers  to  many  of  the  country  towne, 
usually,  two  to  each  of  the  towns  with  which  I  was  acqutdnted, 
4»esid6S  sending  Sisters  of  Oharity  to  many  parts  of  the  United 
States.  Among  those  whom  I  saw  most  was  Saint  Fatridk,  an 
old  woman  for  a  nun,  that  is  about  forty,  very  ignorant  and  groM 
in  her  manners,  with  quite  a  beard  o&  her  face,  and  Tecy  ^tou 
and  disagieeable.  She  was  sometimes  our  tearaer  in  sswing^ 
•ad  was  appointed  to  keep  order  among  us.  We  were  allowed  to 
enter  only  s  few  of  the  rooms  in  the  Oongregational  Nunneqr, 
although  it  was  not  conridered  one  oi  the  secluded  OouTMits. 

In  the  Black  Nunnery,  whieh  is  rery  near  the  Oongregatianal, 
is  aa  ho«pital  lor  sick  people  from- the  city ;  and  sometimes  sonw 
cf  our  boarders,  such  as  were  indisposed,  were  sent  there  to  be 
cured.  I  was  once  taken  ill  myself  and  sent  there,  where  I  re- 
maiaedafewdays.  * 

~  There  were  beds  eaough  for  a  oonsiderable  number  more.  A 
physician  attended  it  dauy,  and  there  are  a  number  of  the  TeQed 
nuns  of  that  GOnrent  who  spend  most  of  their  time  there. 

These  would  also  sometimes  read  lectures  and  repeat  prayers 
toui* 

After  I  had  been  jfat  the  Oongregational  Nunnery  about  two 
rmn,  I  left  it,  aad  attended  scTend  different  schools  for  a  short 
nmt.  But  I  soon  beeame  dissatisfied,  haTing  many  and  sever* 
Mais  to  endure  at  home,  which  my  feelings  will  not  aUow  me  to 
deamibe :  aad  as  my  Oatholio  acqnaiatances  had  often  spoken  ta 
m«  fai  ftfotur  of  thor  faith,  I  was  inoUned  to  belieTe  it  true,  al* 
thottgh,  as  I  before  said,  I  knew  little  of  any  religion.  While  ovi 
of  tte  annaery,  I  saw  aothing  of  religion.  If  JK^had,  Z  belianra  I 
li  3«IdiM(fsr  haTO  tho^^fat  of  beeoaung  •  noo. 


.1 


a! 


.W.  -S 


18 


IvM  BiaoilosQni  of  ][id&  lloukt 


/^ 


OHAFCBB  m. 

B&AODK  IIUJIMaiir. 

SMgantttwi  to  beflome  a  Norloe  in  fhe  Blaoik  NunnnT— AitnuMe-Ooon- 
Mttoni  of  tho  Norloet— The  apartmenti  to  whicb  thogr  h«d  aaeow 
Firak  interview  with  Jane  Bay— BoTerenoe  for  tha  BoMrior— ▲  wen* 
darftil  Hun— ^Ber  reliqaee— The  Holj  Good  Shqpheid,  or  NumImi 
Nnn— Oontadon  of  Movioee. 

As  leoffth  I  detennioed  to  become  a  Black  Nun,  and  called  upon 
one  of  ue  oldest  priests  in  the  Seminaxy,  to  whom  I  made  known 
myintention. 

The  old  priest  to  whom  I  applied  was  IVither  Socqae.  Be  is 
■tin  aliye.  He  was  at  that  time  the  oldest  priest  in  the  SMninaxw, 
and  carried  the  Bon  Dien,  Good  God,  as  the  sacramental  wafer  is 
called.  .  When  going  to  administer  it  in  any  country  place,  ha 
used  to  ride  with  a  man  before  him,  who  nuijg;  a  bell  as  a  signal. 
When  the  Oanadians  heard  it,  ^hose  habitations  he  passed,  they 
woidd  come  and  prostrate  themselves  to  the  earth,  worshipping 
it  as  a  God.  H6  was  a  man  of  g^reat  age,  and  wore  large  cnrl% 
so  that  he  somewhat  resembled  his  predecessor,  Father  Bone.  Ho 
was  at  that  time  at  the  head  of  the  Seminaxy.  This  Institntioa 
is  a  large  edifice,  situated  near  the  Oongrecntional  and  Black 
Nunneries,  being  on  the  east  side  of  Notre  Dame  Street.  It  is 
the  generu  reudezvous  and  centre  of  all  the  priests  in  fho  dis« 
trict  of  MontrMil,  and  I  haye  been  told,  supplies  all  the  countiy 
as  for  down  as  the  Three  Bivers,  which  place,  I  befiere,  is  under 
the  charge  of  the  Seminary  of  Quebec.  About  one  hundred  and 
fifty  priests  are  connected  with  that  at  Montreal,  as  erery  small 
.place  has  one  priest,  and  a  number  of  larger  ones  haTO  two. 

Father  Bgoque  promised  to  converse  with  the  Superior  of  fho 
GouYcnt,  and  proposed  my  calling  again  at  the  end  of  two  we^i. 
at  which  time  I  visited  the  Seminary  again,  and  was  introducea 
by  him  to  the  Superior  of  the  Black  Nunnery.  She  told  me  she 
must  make  some  inquiries,  before  she  could  give  me  a  decided 
aiiswer,  and  proposed  to  me  to  take  up  my  abode  a  few  days  at 
the  house  of  a  French  family  in  St.  Lawrence  suburbs,  a  dimant 
part  of  the  city.  Here  I  remained  about  a  fortnight;  dniing 
which  time  I  formed  some  acquaintance  with  the  famiiy^partU 
oularly  with  the  mistress  of  the  house,  who  was  a  devoted  Fiapisl^ 
and  had  a  high  respect  for  the  Superior,  with  whom  she  stood  on 
good  terms. 

Atlengch.  on  Saturday  moming  about  ten  o'clock,  I  called, 
and  was  admitted  into  the  Black  Nugnery  as  a  novice,  mncd^  to 
my  satisfaction,  for  I  had  a  high  idea  of  life  in  a  Convent,  se- 
cluded, as  I  supposed  the  inmates  to  be,  from  the  world^aad'S^ 
ito  evil  influences,  and  assured  of  everlasting  happiness  in  heai* 
ven.  The  Supenor  received : 
room,  where  the  novices,  who  i 

were  assembled,  and  engaged  iu  their  customary  occupation 
tewing. 

Here  were  about  forty  of  them,  and  they  were  collected  In 
groups  in  different  parts  of  the  room,  chiefly  near  the  windows; 
out  in  each  group  was  found  one  of  the  veiled  nuns  of  tiie  oon* 
Tont,  whose  abode  was  in  the  interior  apartmehis^  to  which  no 
liovioo  was  to  be  admitted.  As  we  entered,  the  Snperior  inform* 
•d  fhe  assembly  that  a  new  novice  had  oome^  and  sho  doatoed 
•nw  one  piesMit  who  might  havo  known  mo  in  fhowocldlo/rif> 
nifyitt 


ouox  everiastmg  happiness  in  heai* 
me,  and  conducted  me  into  a  laigo 

0  are  called  in  French,  PostidanfMk 

1  in  their  customary  occupation  of 


>; 


:V 


WWiWiMPMiPiii 


. jtf'«f1lkMU.1im,iMUi4J>J »ii..UV4^  «,; :.2.« ^vw" 


BiiolioBtiiai  of  Hbsik  MosIm 


13 


, 


.  TmoWmWmmmmimBAmUimBawuA.  fcom  7anB0Bl»  wbo 
iMd  bin  aoqr  Mlow^mpib  in  th*  Oongftfaftioiwl  Nmmaiy, 


I WM  fhcn  plMed  ia  one  of  ths  noBM 
nUhedbyanvn,  Mllad  MiBW 


B  flo^  niiow*ini| 

lyvtoogiilMdBi  .    , 

•IftdiiMaMfMmithaiii,  and  fanUhed  . 
CMOda^wlthouitiriAlitomalMnpan^iaoh  m  pciMto  nit  to 
•■ay^fteoonMontodwafaruitWhMiihaj  go  to  adminiilv  Ih* 
aaonaMnt  to  tiio  ildc.  IwonnmembormyfMlingtatflwItfnKk 
riMng  nBMmg  n  numbor  of  ttnHigon,  and  «zpeotinc  with  painiol 
•nsii^  tho  aniTal  of  tlie  dinnevbhovr.  Thon,  mi  know,  om- 
oioniM  won  to  bo  porfonned,  thoui^  for  wbiob  I  wm  but  SQ  pn> 
puid.  Ml  bad  not  70I  hoard  fho  ralei  by  which  I  was  to  bo  go* 
Tmod,  and  know  nothing  of  tho  fuma  to  bo  lopoated  in  tho  dittlf 
•nraiioi,  oKoopttho  oread  in  Latin,  and  that  imporfoetly.  This 
waadoiing  tho  timo  of  leotoation,  aa  it  if  oalloa.  Thoonl/n- 
oraation  ttioro  aUowed,  howoTor,  ii  that  of  tho  mind,  andofthii 
thoroia  bnt  littlo.  Wo  wom  kopt  at  work,  and  pormitted  to  ipeak 
with  oaoh  othor  only  in  hoaiing  of  tho  old  nans  who  sat  by  ns.  Wo 
pcoooodod  to  dinner  in  oonpUw^  and  ato  in  sUenoo  whiloaleMora 
waaroad. 

The  noTioea  had  aoooM  to  only  eight  of  tho  apartments  of  tht 
OonTont ;  and  whateTor  else  wo  wuhod  to  know,  wo  oonld  only 
eonjoetnra.  The  deeping  room  was  in  the  seoond  story,  at  the 
ted  of  tho  western  wing.  Tho  beds  were  plaoed  in  rows^  with- 
out ooHaina  or  any  thing  else  to  obstmot  the  Tiew ;  and  in  ono 
earner  wasa  small  room  partitioned  off,  in  ifhioh  was  tho  bed  of 
a  idght-watoh,  that  is,  the  old  nnn  who  was  appointed  to  OTsrssa 
nsfortheniffht.  In  oaoh  ndo  of  tho  partition  were  two  holes^ 
throoghwhion  she  oonld  look  ontnpon  as  whenoyor  she  pleased. 
Her  bod  was  a  littlo  raised  aboTO  the  level  of  tho  others.  There 
waa  a  lanq;>  hong  in  tho  middle  of  oar  dhamber,  Kthieh  showed 
ivecything  to  her  Tory  dittinotly ;  and  as  she  had  no  light  in  her 
littlo  roon^  wo  never  oonld  peroeiYO  whether  she  was  awake  or 
idoM^  As  Wo  knew  that  tho  slightest  deviatirn  from  the  rolea 
Wonld  ezpoao  ns  to  her  obserratfon  as  well  as  to  that,  of  onr  omm* 
paBions,inwhomitwasavirtaetobetray  ono  another's  fanlti^ 
oontinnal  ekposore  to  saflOr  what  I  dUAiked,  and  had  my  mind  00- 
onpiedin  thinking  of  what  I  was  to  do.  next,  and  what  I  mnst 
avoid.  Though  I  soon  learned  the  rales  and  oeiemonies  we  had 
topasiLwhioh  wore  many,  and  wo  had  to' bo  very  particular  in 
their  observanoe,  we  wore  employed  in  different  kinds  of  work 
while  I  waa  a  novioe.  The  most  beantifal  speoim«B  of  tho  nan's 
mannfat^nro  whioh  I  saw,  was  arioh  oarpet  made  of  fine  wonted, 
ithioh  had  been  began  before  my  aoqnaintanoo  with  the  Ctonveni^ 
and  was  finished  while  I  waa  there.  TUs  was  sent  as  a  present 
to  the  King  of  England,  as  an  expression  of  gratitado  for  tho 
money  iannally  rooeivea  from  tho  government.  It  was  about 
forty  yards  in  length,  and  Tory  handsome.  Wo  were  ignorar^  of 
tho  amount  of  isioney  thus  reoeived.  Tho  Convent  o J!  tho  Gfoy 
Nuns  aa  also  reodvad  funds  from  tho  sovemmml^  thouf^  on 
some  aotount  or  other,  had  not  for  levoral  years. 

I  was  sitting  by  a  window  ai  one  time  with  a  giri  named  Jano 
.IFOt^.whononoof  thooUnunaoamo  up  and  apokotousin* 
tono  of  liveliness  and  kindness,  whioh  seemed  strange  in  a  phw^ 
what*  evesy  thing  appeared  ao  sold  and  reserved.  SomorttnaslEa 
iibieh  dia  made  wore  evidently  intended  to  ohoor  and  eaeonraga 
4i%ndaudaaathink  that  aha  felt  aoma  interaat  in  mew  lao 
M^ffaooOoetiHkatBhoaaidtbutlrsmambaritgavo  me  ^eaaura* 


■:.ti:'t» 


14 


AwM  BfiddBOiHi  of  Ifuit  Xioiib 


laltoMmealwrfluithsraaiiiiwi  ilnwk  n*  iiiifvUrij.  8ha 
wuy»tltar'oldfovaBvn->flMt  ia.  pcobaUy  tUrfy;  hm  igvM 
UKt^btrfMtwri^dadySadlMrdfMioaralMt.  SoeMMMdalio 
taMiiiid«rle«TCttniiittliMithooth«n,  Mid  tUt  I  ftlltnrMilt 
ftrand  WM  th*  oaie.  She  lometimM  0fwi  Mt  tht  rnlMatdaAaaft. 
Am  would  ipMlc  aload  whan  lilenoe  wm  veqnirtd,  tad  kwmk 
tiai6k  walk  «bo«t  wh«a  the  ought  to  ham  kept  h«r  idaM  t  iho 
woqIcI  ercn  lay  and  do  tbinga  on  murpoaa  to  inake  ua  bagh,  and, 
although  often  blamed  for  hir  ooadaoi,  had  her  offencea  fraattant- 
Ij  pawad  OTer,  whan  othera  would  have  bean  pvniahed  with  pan* 


I  learnt  Uiat  thia  woman  had  alwaya  liaea  dngnlar.  She  i 
would  oonseotto  takeaBainVanamaonreoeiTingtheTeiltandhad 
alwaja  been  known  by  her  own,  whioh  waa  Jane  Bay.  Her  if* 
ragniaritiea  were  {oandto  be  nnmexooa,  andpenanoea  were  oi  ao 
little  QM  in  gOTaming  bar*  tl>«t  ahe  waa  pined  by  aome,  who 
thought  her  partially  insane.  She  waa,  therefore,  oommonlr 
apokenof  aa  mad  Jane  Bay ;  and  when  ihe  oommitted  a  faulty  ft 
waa  apologised  for  by  tiie  Superior  or  other  nuns,  on  umi 
ground  that  aha  did  not  know  what  aha  did. 

The  oooupationa  of  a  novice  in  the  Black  Konnery  are  not  aoiA 
aa  aome  of  our  readers  may  suppoae.  They  are  not  employed  in 
atudying  the  higher  brandies  of  education :  they  are  not  <uEeied 
•ay  advantagea  for  atoring  their  minds,  or  polishing  their  man- 
ners; they  are^hot  taught' eren  reading,  writing,  or  ariUunatia; 
mudi  less  any  of  the  more  adTanoed  branehea  of  knowledge.  ICy 
time  was  chiefly  employed,  at  first,  in  work  and  prayers.  Itia 
tmtj,  duriug  the  last  year  I  atudied  »  great  deal,  and  was  reauisad 
to  work  bat  Tery  little ;  but  it  waa  the  study  of  prayera  in  Irenoh 
and  Latin,  which  I  had  merely  to  oommit  to  memory,  to  prepare 
for  the  eaay  repetition  of  them  on  my  reception,  and  after  lahonld 
be  adodtted  aa  a  nun. 

Among  the  wonderful  events  which  had  happened  in  the  OoQ* 
van^  that  of  the  audden  oomversion  of  a  gay  young  lady  of  the 
city  uto  &  nun  appeared  to  me  one  of  the  most  remarkahld.  Th« 
atray  whidi  I  firat  heard  while  a  novice,  made  a  deep  impresrioB 
upon  my  mind.    It  waa  nearly  as  follows : 

The  dau^ter  of  %  wealthy  dtiaen  of  Montreal  waa  paasing  Ihf 
diurch  of  ISoa  Seconrs  one  evening,  on  bar  way  to  s  ball,  whaa 
dia  waa  suddenly  thrown  down  upou  the  steps  or  near  tha  doob 
and  lecdved  a  severe  shade.  She  Waa  takmi  m^  and  repnofad 
flia^  I  think,  into  the  ohnreh,  but  aoon  into  the- Blade  Ifnnnaiy, 
whie'*  she  determined  to  Join  aa  a  nun ;  instead,  however,  of  being 
Nqtiied  to  pass  through  a  long  novitiate,  (which  usually  ooou* 
plea  about  two  yeara  and  a  hal^  and  ia  abridged  only  where  thn 
diaracter  ia  peculiarly  exemplary  and  devoutO  die  waa  pendtted 
to  take  the  veil  without  dday,  being  dedared  by  Godtonptiaafe 
to  be  in  a  atate  of  sanetity.  Tha  meaningof  this  wcptessipn  i% 
thai  aha  waan  real  saint,  and  already  in  a  great  meaaura  raiaaa 
above  the  world  and  ita  influences^  and  inoapaUa  d  sinning} 
poassssing .  the  powaar  of  inteioesdon,and  a  proper  objestto  n 
•ddreassdin  ]pn.j«t.  Thia  remafkable  indimual,  I  waa  farttier 
ii^cNCBied,  waa  atill  in  the  Convent,  though  I  nefer  waa  alk>wid 
toianhar;  die  did  not  mingle  with  the  other  nun^  d^arat 
w«dL  woiah^  or  maala;  for  aba  had  no  need  of  food,  nnd  not 
only  her  aanl,  bnt  bar  body,  waa  in  heaven  n  great  part  olhaff 
Whntadded,if  poa^Ui^to  thamfsiaoei  aBdnvatflOoan 


'''■'•'■  fu'rk'Ti 


AifM  xyaolBBnrai  of  lUaAi  Ibnic 


Iff 


vm  with  wliieb  I  fhonght  of  hu,  wm  Um  iMt  I  leanitd,  that  ih* 
haAaonuM.  The  titlM  natd  in  raaddng  of  hM' wofo,  tho  hoi  j 
Mial  wvoNBd  mother,  ot  Mlat  Doa  peateor,  (the  hoty  gooa 

Ifleirondeifal  thetweooald  IwTe  oairied  our  levennoefor 
'  Ike  Superior  lo  fer  m  we  cUd|  althoogh  it  waa  thedireettandenof 
el  many  imtmetioiia  aiid  regulationi,  inc||ped  of  the  whole  ars- 
lem,  to  permit,  eren  to  f oater.  a  raperatitioaa  regard  for  her.  Oae 
ef  va  waa  oeeaiionally  oalled  into  her  rooin  to  eat  her  aaila,  or 
drew  har  hidr ;  and  we  wonld  often  eoUeot  the  dippino,  and  aia> 
tribate  them  to  each  other,  or  pieMrre  them  with  the  utmoat 
eare.  I  onoe  picked  up  all  her  itray  hairal  oould  find  after  oomb- 
ii^  her  head,  bound  them  together  and  kept  them  for  aome  time, 
•ntU  aha  told  me  I  waa  not  worthy  to  poaaeaa  thinga  ao  aaontd. 
Jane  ITOoy  and  I  were  onoe  aent  to  alter  a  dreaa  for  the  Supe- 
lior..  I  gathered  up  all  the  bita  of  thread,  made  a  little  bag,  and 
put  them  into  it  for  aafe  preaerration.  Thia  I  wore  a  long  time 
loond  my  neok,  ao  long,  indeed,  that  I  wore  out  a  nambw  of 
lirinffaL  whieh  i  remember  I  had  replaeed  with  new  onea.  1  be- 
lieved it  to  poaaeaa  the  power  of  removing  pain,  and  haTO  often 
prayed  to  it  to  oure  the  tooth-aohe,  &o.  Jane  Bay  aometimea  pro- 
zeaMd  to  outdo  na  allin  devotion  to  the  Superior,  and  would  pick- 
up the  f eathera  after  making  her  bed.  These  ahe  would  diatribute 
among  ua,  aaying,  **  When  the  Superior  diea,  relica  will  begin  to 
grow  acaxoe,  and  yon  had  better  aupply  yonraelTea  in  aeaaon." 
Then  ahe  would  neat  the  whole  matter  in  aome  way  to  torn  it 
into  ridio^e.  Equally  oontradictorv  would  ahe  appear,  whmi  oo« 
eaaiomally  ahe  would  obtain  leave  from  her  Superior  to  tell  h«r 
dreama.  With  a  aerioua  face,  which  aometimea  impoaed  upon  all 
of  oa,  and  made  na  half  bdieve  ahe  waa  in  a,  perfect  atate  (A  aano* 
titjr,  ahe  would  narrate  in  Frendi  aome  unaoeonntable  viaion 
which  ahe  aaid  ahe  had  enjoyed ;  then  turning  round,  would  iay, 
**  There  are  aome  who  do  not  underatand  me ;  you  auooght  to  be 
informed."  And  then  ahe  would  aay  aomething  totally  different 
in  Buflrfiah,  which  put  ua  to  the  greatest  agony  lot  fear  of  laugh* 
inc.  Bometimea  ahe  wonld  say  ahe  fxpe^bed  to  be  Superior  her- 
aau  ona  of  thoae  day%  and  other  thinga  whkdx  I  have  not  room  to 
lepeat. 

While  I  waa  in  the  Oongregational  Nunnery,  I  had  gone  to  the 
pariah  ehvrdh  whenever  Iwaa  to  confesiL  for  although  the  nuna' 
had  a  private  oonfeaaumoroom  in  the  building,  the  boarders  were 
taken  in  partiea  through  the  atreeta,  on  different  day  a,  by  aome  of 
the  nuna^  to  confeaa  in  the  church ;  but  in  ^e  Blaek  Nutmeg,  aa 
we  had  a  diapel.  and  prieata  attending  in  the  oonfeaaional%  we 
never  left  the  building. 

Our  oonf esaions  there  aa  novioea  were  alwaya  performed  in  one 
Wi^,  ao  that  it  may  be  aufftcient  to  describe  a  aingle  eaae.  Thoae 
dt  tn  who  werii  to  oonfeaa  at  a  particular  time^  took  onr  plaoea  ou 
our  knees  near  the  confeaaion-lMn,  and,  after  Lairing  repeated  m 
aamber  of  prayer^  &c,iffeacribedni  our  book,  came  up  one  at  a 
time  and  kneebd  beaide  a  fine  wooden  lattiee-wcvk,  whiA  an* 
tilibr  aeparated  the  aonfeaaor  from  ua,  yet  pwmitted  na  to  place 
out  iaeee  almoat  to  hia  ear,  and  neariy  oonciealed  his  countenance 
utm  onr  view,  even  when  ao  near.  I  reeoUect  how  the  nricBta 
vioi  to  leeliiia  their  heads  on  one  side,  and  often  aoveiea  th«br 
ftMB  with  fhsir  handkerehiefs,  while  they  heard  me  conlase  my 
iiai, iadpnt fnestions to  b%  which  wesaoftanof  themocfia^ 


18 


kwMllMmm  of  Xttia  look 


licoMc  m4  nvoltbi  iuikm%  naming  erinMi  boOi  wnHbooAM  <|C 
uuinlranuui.  StOVitimnmM  lftBajMMn,IwMpinaii3tdto 
MIST* that  aU  tUawca  tSatodaty^orat  laastthatit  waidana 
without  ain. 

Tailad  nnna  wonld  oftan  appaar  in  tha  dhapa!  at  aonfaadon; 
u<rach,asIttndafatood,tha7ganaraUjoonlesMd  inpriTata.  Of 
tha  plan  of  thair  oonfaMion*xooma  I  had  no  InfonnMion ;  bnt  I 
anppoaad  tha  oaiamony  to  ba  oondaoted  mneh  on  tha  aama  plan 
asln  tha  ehapal  and  in  tha  ohnreh.  via.,  with  a  lattioa  intacpotad 
hatwaan  tha  oonf aaaor  and  tha  oonfeMioff . 

Pnniahmaats  waia  aomatimat  mortad  to  whila  I  waa  a  notloa, 
wongh  bat  laldom.  Tha  first  tima  I  aval  law  a  gag,  waa  ona 
day  whan  a  young  novioa  had  dona  somathing  to  olbnd  tha  8a« 
panor.  Tliia  girl  I  always  had  oompasdon  for,  babaasa  aha  waa 
▼aiy  yonng,  wd  an  orphan.  Tha  Supaiior  sant  for  a  gag,  and 
mcprassed  haf  ragrat  at  baing  oompelled,  by  tha  bad  eondnet  of 
tha  ohild,  to  prooaad  to  sttch  a  pumshmant ;  after  whidhahapnt 
it  into  her  mouth,  so  far  as  to  keep  it  open,  and  then  let  it  la* 
main  for  some  time  before  she  took  it  out.  There  was  a  laatham 
atran  fastened  to  eaoh  end,  and  buckled  to  the  baok  piurt  of  tha 


«« 


CHAPTER  lY. 


I>IirIe«8edwlthth»OonT«nt~Left  it-Beddente  at  St.  Deals— Belles— 
Msrriage-^Betum  to  the  Black  Nannery— Objeotioni  mads  by  soma 
Kovlcw.  - 

ArsKSk  I  had  been  a  no^ee  four  or  five  years,  that  is  from  tha 
time  I  commenced  school  in  the  Oonrent,  one  day  I  was  treated 
by  ona  of  the  nuns  in  a  manner  which  displeased  me,  and  be* 
cause  I  azprassed  some  resentmeut  I  was  required  to  beg  her 
pardon.  Js^t  being  satisfied  with  this,  although  I  complied  with 
the  command^  nor  with  the  coldness  with  which  the  Superior 
treated  ma,  I  determined  to  quit  the  Oonvent  at  once,  which  I 
did  without  asking  leaye.  There  would  have  been  no  obatada  to 
my  departure,  I  presume,  novice  as  I  then  was,  if  I  had  asked 
permission ;  but  I  waa  too  much  displeased  to  wait  for  tha^  and 
went  home  without  speaking  to  any  one  on  the  subject. 

I  soon  after  Tisitea  the  town  of  St.  Denis,  where  I  saw  two 
young  ladies  with  whom  I  had  formerly  been  acquainted  in  Mbn" 
treal,  and  one  of  them  a  former  school-mate  at  Mr.  Workman'a 
School.  After  some  conversation  with  me,  and  leuming  that  X 
bad  known  a  lady  who  kept  a  school  in  the  place,  they  advised 
me  to  apply  to  her  to  be  employed  as  her  assistant  teachar;  lor 
she  was  wen  instruotiag  the  government  school  in  that  place. 

I  visited  her,  and  found  her  willing,  and  I  engaged  M  onca  aa 
her  assistant. 

Tha  govemment'sodety  paid  her  £20  a  year ;  aha  waa  obHgad 
to  teach  tan  ohildren  gratnitously;  might  have  fifteok  pence  a 
month,  about  a  quarter  of  a  dollar,  for  each  tan  acholara  mora^ 
and  than  she  waa  at  liberty,  according  to  tha  regnlatimis,  to  de- 
mand aa  mnoh  aa  she  pleased  for  the  other  pupils.  Tha  oommac^ 
faistraotiim  aa  tequired  by  the  aociety,  embraeed  only-caa^ttag, 
writing,  and  what  waa  called  dphering,  though  I  thmk  imoKM*' 
pariy.  Tha  only  hooka  nsadwaraan|Miling.r  &istraoticmi:da]a 
Ja«nasaa»  tha  OathoUa  Kew  Teatamen^  and T  ffistoira  6»Ouum 
da.   Wbenthaaa  hadbaan  zaadthroogb,  in  regular  soieMmi^ 


1i 

1 
I 
I 

3 
I 
1 

1 

-  a 

ti 

9 
s 

« 


lijjWiftititlirii 


ivft}  Wwdmitt  of  XMa  ^1^         17 

^fjmm  irws  AiMBiMtd  M  hatliif  oonpkM  IhdrtdaqMioiu 
Ho  anoalW  Ja  loond  ia  owkinc  th«  oommon.IVwiok  OfcnMiaiit 
mni  witii  radi  mi  tmoimt  of  in«trootion  m  Ihit ;  on  tho  oomf* 
r,  ife  IS  oftm  lonnd  tut  hud  indeed  to  pre?eU  np(m,lliem  to 

^,  IMMirelilldiennlaiLlorlh^Myittnkee  too  mnoh  of  fho 
tofoof  God  from  them  to  tend  them  to  eohooL  The  teeohee 
iMotlj  ooflbpUed  with  the  reqniiitior  i  of  the  eodety  in  whoee  em- 
BMvaent  the  wm,  and  the  Boman  Oatholio  oateohiim  was  legii* 
UMj  lelight  in  the  whool,  aa  mnnh  from  choice,  ae  from  ■abnue- 
■lon  to  authority,  as  the  was  a  itrict  Oatholio.  Z  had  brought 
with  me  the  little  bag  before  mentioned,  in  which  I  had  ao  Imig 
fceirlttke  oUppinn  of  the  thread  left  after  making  a  drem for tiie 
gn^Miior.  Such  was  my  regard  for  it,  that  I  oontinaed  to  wear 
KOouitantlT  round  my  neck,  and  to  feel  the  same  rcTerencefor 
up  anppoeed  Tirtaei  as  before.  I  occasionally  had  the  tooth-aohe 
wring  my  stay  at  St.  Denis,  sad  then  always  relied  on  the  infln- 
epoe  a  my  little  bag.  On  such  occasions  l  would  say—"  Br  the 
yirtue  of  this  bag  may  I  be  delivered  from  the .  tooth«acbe  I  and 
I  euOTOsed  that  when  it  ceased  it  was  owing  to  that  caase. 

.  While  engaged  in  this  manner,  I  became  acquainted  with  a  man 
who  B0<m  lioposed  marriage ;  and,  young  and  ignorant  of  the 
wprid  as  I  was.  I  heard  his  offers  with  fsTour.  On  consulting 
irith  mj  friend,  she  expressed  a  friendly  interest  to  me,  advised 
meagsinsttakingsnohastop,  and  especially  as  I  knew  so  little 
ab«mt  the  man,  ezMpt  that  a  report  was  circulated  unfaToumble 
to  his  character.  XTnfortunatoly,  I  was  not  wise  enouffh  to  listen 
to  her  advioe.  and  hastily  mamed.  In  a  few  weeks  I  had  occa« 
mfm  to  repent  of  the  step  1  had  taken,  as  the  report  proved  tiue— 
ft  nport'Whioh  I  thought  Justified,  and  indeed  required,  our  se- 
palMion.  After  I  had  been  in^St.  Denis  about  three  months,  flnd- 
U|ig  myself  thus  situated,  and  not  knowing  what  else  to  do,  I  de« 
tennined  to  return  to  the  Ck>nvent,  and  pursue  my  former  inten- 
tion of  becoming  a  Black  Nun,  could  I  gain  admittahoe.  Know- 
ing the  manv  inquiries  the  Superior  would  make  relative  to  me 
firing  my  aosenee,  before  leaving  St.  Denis  I  agreed  with  the 
lijlywith  whomlhad  been  associated  as  a  toacher,  (when  she 
ifint  to  Montreal;  which  she  did  very  frequently)  to  say  to  the 
^Imj  Superior  I  had  been  under  her  protectioa  during  my  ab- 
IM|9m«,  which  would  satisfy  and  stop  further  inquiry ;  as  I  was 
sflOfllble,  should  they  know  I  had  been  married  I  snould  not  gain 
adalttaaee. 

,1  soon  left  and  retamed  to  Montreal,  and,  on  reacbLig  the  dfy, 
I  visited  the  Seminary,  and  in  another  interview  with  the  Supe- 
liipf  of  i^  communicated  my  wish,  and  desired  her  to  procure  my 
re-admimion  as  a  novice.    little  delay  occurred. 

After  leaving  lor  a  short  time,  she  returned  and  toldmetiiat 
fhe  Superior  of  the  Gonvent  had  consented,  and  I  was  soon  intro^ 
diwed  uto  her  presence. 

She  blamed  ^e  for  my  conduct  in  leavingfhe  nunnery,  but  told 
me^nat  I  ought  to  be  ever  grateful  to  my  guardian  angel  for 
tayiig,ea>e  of  me,  unless  pr^bited  by  the  Sunerior ;  and  this  she 
pCMpedme.^  The  money  usually  required  for  the  admisdkm  of 
^Nr«i|ahad-not  been  expeetod  from  me.  I  had  been  admitted 
^  WK  time  without  any  such  requi8itioa;but  nowlchose  to 
|iiK%f  myre-admissionk  I  knew  that  ehe  was  able  to  dispense 
.wmkjtfm^im^aA  as  ^ell  in  this  as  in  the  former  ease^  aira  shf 
WMnot  ittposeassioDof  any  thing  like  the  sum  xn^ 


M 


tirtii>*^^rwia»- ■'■**■  -  iWtt 


'ft  '^' 


•  'i'- , 


'    i- 


fo- 


Bml  Z  #il  ImbI  M  ptshui  to  Ibt  HVnntM 
sitahv  tiM  iotfiUM  fmm  f$pmlMi  to  im  fe 
wkta  tho  odTontOfo  of  ttio  dnurdi  wm  oonMlM.  tho  ilv 
ir«NjiiHilAbto,l«tlionilMirluitthoyiroold;  twniufmmmm^ 
•d  to  obtain  noooy  on  fdbo  pratenoM,  eonfldont  thai  tf  dD  UMl 
knoim,  I  ihonld  m  fu  from  displOMing  tho  Baporior.  Z  wmfkm' 
tho  brigado-mojor,  ood  Mkod  han  to  iTto  molhomoiMynffaili 
to  mj  mothor  nom  hor  pondon,  whiob  amomitod  to  abwn  lkirl|^ 
doUwt.  and  without  quottoning  ny  amthoiHj  to  loooiTO  it  in  bar 
aano,  ho  gare  it  mo. 

iVom  MToval  of  tfadr  fHands  I  obtaisod  amaU  BiuBa«nd«fh» 
namo  of  loau^  ao  that  altogothor  I  had  aoon  raiaod  «  nnmbav  ol 
pottada,with  irhioh  I  haatenod  to  tho  Nmwoiy,  and  diporftad  ft 
part  in  tho  handa  of  the  Snparior.  Bhh  reooirod  Ibo  mraty  wUh 
ovident  aatiafaotion,  though  ho  moa(  havo  known  that  I  «olda 
ndthoTo  o/btainod  it  honoatiy ;  and  Lwaa  at  onoo  to  admittofl  io 
lanoTioo. 

Mooh  to  my  gratiflOation,  not  a  word  fel\  from  tho  Upool  ifltf 
of  my  old  asocxuitoa  in  relation  to  my  nnoeremoniont  dopirta% 
nor  my  Tolnntaxy  return.  The  Efnperior'a  ordera,  I  had  not  a 
doubt,  had  been  ezplidtly  laid  down,  and  they  oertainly  wore 
oarefull:^  obeyed,  for  I  never  heard  an  uluaion  niado  to  that  tfohm 
Jeot  dnring  iqy  ■ubseqaent  itay  in  the  OonTont.  eaceeptthal^  whan 
alone,  the  Snpelrior  would  lometimei  say  a  litue  about  it. 

niere  were  nnmbera  of  young  ladiea  who  entered  airtdla  M 
notioea,  and  beoama  weary  or  diagaited  with  lomo  thinga  they 
obierved,  and  remained  but  a  abort  time.  One  of  my  oowini^ . 
Who  lived  at  Laohine,  named  Beed,  tpent  about  afortnmhtinHw 
OOnvent  with  me.  She  however,  oonoeived  «noh  an  annpalhy  to 
theptieati,  that  she  used  expreuioniwhioh  offended  the  Snpeifiar. 

The  first  day  that  she  attended  mass,  while  at  dinner  with  m 
in  full  oommnnity,  she  said  before  us  all,  **  What  n  ntsoal  thi;:; 
priest  was,  to  preaoh  against  his  best  friend  1" 

A31  stared  at  snob  an  unusual  ezelamatiMi,  lamd  'aottio  oofa  «>• 
quired  what  she  meant* 

**I  aay,"  she  oontinued,  '*  he  has  been  proMhing  afl;ain8t  Mtti 
Who  has  given  him  his  bread.  Do  you  suppose  thu  if  there  iNWi 
no  devil,  there  would  be  any  fhriesta  F" 

Tliia  bold  youn^  novice  was  immediately  dismissed,  and  in  Una 
afternoon  we  had  a  long  aermon  from  ttioBuperlor  on  thoauMeoft. 

It  happened  that  I  one  day  got  a  leaf  of  an  English  BiUo  waMk 
lud  been  brought  into  the  (Convent,  wrapped  around  aomo  ao«Hn|f 
•ilk,  purebased  at  a  store  in  the  oity.  For  some  twMoh  or  other, 
I  determined  to  oommit  to  memory  a  obaptOr  it  oontained,  whi<di 
I  aoon  did.  It  is  the  only  chapter  I  ever  learnt  in  tho  Bituo,  «nA 
t  can  now  repeat  it.  It  is  the  second  of  St.  'MatthbW*a  idapOL 
**  Now  when  Jesus  was  bom  at  BethlebOm  in  Judoa,'*  fte.  ft  lillpi* 

Cod  that  I  was  observed  reading  the  paper,  and  When>  tbO  iaaiv 
» of  it  waa  discovered.  I  waa  ooodemned  to  ^  ponanoo  ftr  aj^ 
oilenoo. 

Great  dislike  to  tho  Bible  WaO  ihown  by  those  wlio  oenystaai 
Willi  mo  about  it,  and  'aevoral  have  ruBiarked'at  miamt  dllMttMl 
timoa,  that  if  it  were  not  fO^  Hiit  boctk,  CathoUOs  ifMtfEr  aiHife^ 
led  to  renounoo  their  own  faith. 

Ihnvoboardpasaagearoadfrom  ^0  Bvane^^  ridlatfhtisttM 
death  of  Ohxiat;  thononvoJMion  of  Fhnl ;  m^w  ottaptavs  milili 
UattTtew.  and  perhapa  a  fair  otinra.  Tho  pileMs  wonld  aAloi 
tiniea  take  a  verse  or  two,  and  preaoh  firom  it.    IhavOi 


,1       ,'-.1 ..- 


I 


l^ii£;- 


w" 


kw§A  WiHiiBBirWf  of  Jbdi  KdbL 


19 


b 
•I 

Mi 

Mr 

Om 
rol 

riD 
yl  « 


ftISM 

fhi.;; 


ming 


««|tf'»liii^taltMr««tttbookMlMlkt«LlfMil 
diM«»iMiMiiM  Ite  kmof  iMftVM  nd  MI,  aiM 
fdow«hiMk.    Atior«aiBl  FMri,ZiMMBlMr,Ml 

io  MteillMdtt,  ttUKlkt WMMMta 


CWJkfKo^  tmlU  WbMMM  ooBTistod,  Md  •qoImmA  to  OM  of  tte A- 
^  ihtrm\pi$ont  1  don't  know  whioh.     For  who  ma  ospool  to  bo 
lQi|if on,  who  doM  not  booomo  n  OothoUe^  and  oonf on  P 

OHAFTBBY. 

JUotiwtA  OonflnMttan— Pttiafbl  7MUiig*— SptdaMMi  of  lutmolloni  n- 

octTadoBklMSabjMt. 

Itai  dagr  on  whioh  I  nooiTod  Oonfinnation  wm  n  diitieMinf  one 
tojMo.  I  boUoTod  tho  dootrino  of  the  Bomnn  OathoUes,  ana  ae- 
oocdini  to  them  I  was  guilty  of  three  mortal  lini;  coneealiag 
aemetung  at  oonf  embn,  Munlofte,  in  patting  the  bodjr  of  Ohiiit 
In  theaaerament  atmy  feet,  and  oy reoeiTinfrr  while  -^ot  ina  itate 
offraeeland  nowlnad  been  led  into  all  those  una  in  emiio- 
qoenoeofiaymaKriage.  whichlueYer  had  aoknowledge^  as  it 
woald  have  oat  me  dl  from  being  admitted  aa  a  nao. 

On  the  daji  therefore,  when  i  went  to  the  ohoroh^  be  ooB> 
firmed  with  a  nnmber  of  others,  I  suffered  extremely  from  tho  lo* 
nroaehes  of  my  oonsoienoe.  I  knew,  at  least  I  belieTed,  as  I  had 
oeea  told,  thai  a  person  who  had  been  anointed  with  the  holy  oil 
of  oonflrmation  on  the  forehead,  and  dying  in  the  stato  in  whioh 
I- waa^  woidd  go  down  to  hell,  and,  in  the  mace  where  the  oil  had 
been  fabbed,  ttie  names  of  my  sios  wonla  blase  out  of  my  fore- 
head ;  these  would  be  a  sign  by  whioh  the  devils  woiUd  know  msu 
and  wonld  torment  me  the  worse  for  them.  I  was  thinking  of  all 
fhli,  while  I  was  sitting  la  the  pew,  waiting  to  receive  the  oil.  Z 
fstt  howivw  some  oonsolation,  as  I  often  did  afterwards,  when 
asf  liiiB  oame  to  my  miud :  and  this  oonsolation  I  derlTod  from 
auotiMT  doetiine  of  the  ohureh,  via.,  that  a  bishop  oouldabsolto 
ma  fMoi  all  these  s^  any  minute  before  my  death  ;and  I  intend* 
ad  to  oonfiass  them  all  to  a  bishop  before  leaving  the  world.  At 
lou[th  the  moment  for  administering  of  the  '*  saoramentf'  wriTed. 
aoCa  bell  was  rung.  Those  who  had  come  to  be  oonfirmed  had 
bronght  tioketo  from  their  confessors,  and  those  were  thrown  in* 
vto  a  Sat,  and  oasried  around  by  a  priest,  who  in  turn  handed  eaoh 
to  a  bishoik  by  whioh  he  leanrod  the  name  of  eadi  of  na,  and  ap- 
itfiad  a  UktM  of  the  oil  to  the  foreheads.  This  was  immediately 
tabbed  off  by  a  priest  with  a  bit  of  cloth  ^uite  roughly. 

I  went  home  with  some  qualms  of  oonsoienee,  and  often  thought 
with  dread  of  the  following  tale,  which  I  have  heard  told,  to  illua- 
txato  the  sinfulness  of  oonduct  like  mine. 

▲  priest  waa  enoe  traTolling,  when  just  as  he  was  passing  by  a 
hoaii%  hii  hoise  fell  on  his  knees,  and  wOuId  not  rise.  His  rider 
dJamoontad  and  went  in,  to  loam  the  oause  of  so  extraordinaij 
•aoeooiianoa.  He ioond >ttere  a  woman  near  death,  to  whom • 
ifriaat  waa  tsyimr  to  administer  the  saorameut,  but  withont  sao- 
eeati^  avsvy  lima  she  attempted  to  swallow  it,  it  waa  thrown 
Viit«al4f  harmonfh  into  the  ohalioe.  He  peroeivad  it  waa 
•wittil  to  oncoaissced  sin,  and  took  away  the  holy  wafer  iron 
*^~7,«  ffi  ^liiek  Ua  hone mee  from  his  knaes^  and  aa  pnrsoad  Ua 


■also  thtftlhadbaen  told,  Ibatwa  ahatt 
OS,  if  wa go  to  haU,aa  wahava i 


■  ^:f- 


kr 


i  '* 


r. 


I' 


"  '■; 


^- 


^.  ;■■ 


n  -     UrM  BlMteoni  of  liffli  Indt 

I  vai  itqviNi  lo  dtvolt  MfMlf  lor  abovl »  ywr  «6  Ito  tMr  «f 

tte pnfWt  AM  ptMMM of  tM  MnaODiM  BMMMiy  oolb«i«* 
Mpoon  of  ft  Bon.    This  X  found  a  Ttiy  todiow  d«ty;b«lM| 


WM  itlMUNd  in  A  gTMt  dMiM  fiom  tlio  dftUf  kbooit  vMtlijr 
BiMdfd  of  norioM,  I  hit  uttlo  diipoiitloii  to  oompkin. 


'H 


OHAFTEBTI. 

Ttldng  th*  Ttil— Inttr?l«w  aftennirdi  with  the  Soptrior— 8aiprf«  aoi 
honor  •!  tha  dlidorarM— Btaolttttonto  lubniil. 

I  ifif  introdaoed  into  tho  Superior'i  room  on  tho  fTwingpttetd 
ing  tho  day  on  whioh  I  wm  to  tako  tho  toil,  to  h»TO  an  UMCViifr 
with  tho  blahopi,  Thar  Saperlor  was  proaont,  and  tho  intonltw 
lasted  about  half  an  hour.  The  bishop  on  this  as  on  othor  d«ei>> 
sions  appearsd  to  bo  habitnally  rough  in  hii  manners.  Hia  ad> 
drass  was  br  no  means  prepotaeasing. 

Before  I  took  the  Teil,  I  was  ornamented  for  theoeremony,  and 
was  olothed  in  a  dreaa  belonging  to  the  ConTeo^  whioh  was  used 
on  auoh  oocasions;  and  placed  not  far  from  the  altar  in  tho  dui* 

Eel,  in  tho  Tiew  of  a  number  of  spectators,  who  had  assemUod, 
1  number,  perhaps  about  forty.  Taking  tho  Toil  is  aa  alMr 
whioh  oocurs  so  frequently  in  Montreal,  Uiat  it  has  lon|^  oeiMid 
to  be  regard^^  <^  <^  noTelty ;  and,  although  notice  had  been  glTeii 
in  the  l^enoh  pariah  ohuroh  as  usual,  only  a  small  audioooa  ai- 
sembled  aa  I  have  mentioned. 

Being  well  prepared  with  a  long  training,'~and  frequent  rs* 
hearaala,  for  wnat  I  waa  to  perform,  I  atood  waiting  hi  my  large 
flowing  dreaa  for  the  appearance  of  the  biabop.  He  soon  preseu- 
ed  himself,  entering  by  a  door  behind  the  altar  $  I  then  threw  inj^* 
self  at  his  feet,  and  asked  him  to  oonfuz  ii  i^on  me  the  rail.  Ba 
expressed  hia  oonaent ;  and  then  turnint'  to  the  Superior,  I  threw 
myaelf  proatrate  at  her  feet,  according  to  m j  instrttotion^  repeat* 
ing  what  I  have  before  done  at  rebearaala,  and  nuAk  a  mora* 
ment  as  if  to  kiss  her  feet.  This  ahe  prevented,  or  appealed  to 
prevent,  oatdhing  nie  by  a  sudden  motion  of  ner  hand,  and  grant* 
admyrequeat.  i  then  kneeled  before  the  Holy  SaoramenL  thai 
is  a  large  round  wafer  held  by  the  Biahop  between  hia  f ora-fingar 
and  thumb.  *nd  made  my  vowa. 

This  vr  '  il  had  been  taught  to  re|;ard  with  the  utmost  Tana* 
tation  aa  I>ne  real  body  of  Jeaus  Obnat,  the  preaenoe  pf  wUeh 
made  the  Towe  that  were  uttered  before  it  binding  iuthe  meat 
solemn  manner. 

After  taking  the  TOWS,  I  proceeded  to  a  small  apartment  In^ 
hind  the  altar,  accompanied  by  four  nuub,  where  there  waaa?^- 
fin  prepared  with  my  nun'a  name  enftrayed  upon  it : 

"SiJNT  ExnsiAOB." 

My  oompanioca  lifted  it  by  four  handlea  attached  to  it(Whila  I 
threw  off  my  dreaa.  and  put  on  that  of  a  nun  of  ScsutBoutga- 
oiM ;  and  vhen  '  we  .til  returned  to  the  ohapel.  I  proceeded  flisiL 
and  was  foUovcd  kjr  four  nuns,  the  Bishop  naming  a  unmbMr  in 
worldly  plaasui^jk  ^'>>  rapid  succession,  in  reply  to  whidi  I  uift* 
pidly r^eat?<!,  '^*iT)»vv'inoe,  jorenouhee,  je  renonnoe^"— Xia* 
jDOunoe^  I  renounce,  t.'oacanoe.  '^ 

.  TibaooAn  wva  ikim  plaoed  in  u*out  of  tha altar^  aadX aidiMUfO* 
ad  to  plaoe  my«alf  ti  i^  This  ooffin  was  to  ba  deposltadraflar 
tha  oeremony,  in  an  ont-houae,  tp  be  preserved  until  aiijglaath, 
whaait  was  to  xao^va  my  corpse.   There  were  rafleetioglifliydi 


m 


^1 

ttlh 


lOlUI- 

kbtod, 


IMM- 

intrt* 
rUxga 
leiein- 


wm 


& 


fhffir 


wldoh 


nrUtol 


1: 


itrin 


— tii- 


4iU  IMmm  of  iiilt  Ifaaki         81 

I  aflter-n,  aMrft  at  llMl  MM,  tel  I  ilMiMd  in.  AliiUM 
mSU,  m  ApillowhlirbMaplM7«ttt^oadottte6i^ 
^Mmpoflaif  kMd  in  A  eomfortobltpojillMi.  A  iimithkk 
MMk  alott  WM  iiMB  ipiMd  <nr«f  bm,  ud  #••  •haiiifaig  ci  Litfn 
kyna*  li— ediatoly  eoamtnotd.  My  thougihtd  wtM  nol  tti« 
IMlipllMliif  doiliiff  tlM  tlm«  I  Ut  ia  thai  litoatioii.  TImpaII, 
PK  Dny  MomI,  M  Im  oloth  is  oallad,  hsdaitronff  tmillof  f»- 
«MMk  wUoh  WM  always  diiagwsbla  to  ma.  and  tnmi  piovad  al- 
modt  Mfloeatiag.  I  rsooUtotad  the  storr  of  tha  noTiee.  who,  In 
taUag  tha  ▼til,  lay  down  In  har  ooftn  Uka  ma,  and  wa.  M>Tarad 
io  thi  Mma  manaar,  but  on  tha  iamo?al  of  tha  ooTiring  wa«  f  oaaA 

Tr>«r.  '  w  >«  nnooTarad,  I  roia,  itappad  out  of  my  aoffln,  and 
Vr.ti^ .:  >.  ' )•  .ar  oaramoniM  than  loUowad,  of  no  partiottlar  iota* 
<  itt  di'-M  wj\ioh  tha  mado  oommenoed,  and  hara  tha  whola  wm 
f  iU' '  •  I .  I  then  pcoceadad  from  tha  chapel,  and  latarned  to  the 
Supani  it's  room,  foUowad  by  the  other  nnni,  who  walked  two  by 
two,  in  their  ooitomary  manner,  with  their  hands  folded  on  thdv 
iMMstib  and  their  eyes  out  down  npon  the  floor.  The  nun  who 
WM  tj  bamy  companion  i&fature,  then  walked  at  tha  end  of  tha 

J)rooossion.  On  reaching  tha  Supwior'a  door  they  all  left  me,  an4 
'.  antdred  alone,  and  f  onud  her  with  the  Bishop  and  two  Priests. 
Tbfl  Superior  now  informed  me  that  having  taken  the  bUok 
Tsil,itoniy  remained  that  I  should  swear  the  three  oaths  cus- 
toniary  on  beooming  a  nun ;  and  that  soma  explanatioa  would  be 
naoessary  from  her.  I  wm  now,  she  told  me.  to  haTe  access  to 
atery  part  of  tha  edifice,  even  to  the  cellar,  wnere  two  of  the  slif- 
tars  wara  imprisoned  for  causes  which  she  did  not  mention.  I 
must  be  informed  that  one  of  my  great  duties  wm  to  obey  tha 
priests  in  all  things ;  and  this  I  soon  learnt,  to  my  utter  astonish- 
BMnt  and  horror,  wh  to  Uto  in  the  practice  of  criminal  intw« 
oonrM  with  them.  I  ezpreised  some  of  the  feelings  which  this 
amoQnosment  excited  in  me,  which  came  upon  me  luce  a  flash  of 
lightning  i  but  the  only  effect  wm  to  set  her  arguing  with  mik  in 
ftivour  M  the  crime,  representing  it  m  a  yirtiie  acceptable  to  Gfiod. 
and  honourable  to  me.  The  priests,  she  said,  were  not  sitoatea 
like  other  men,  being  forbidden  to  marry ;  while  th^  liTcd  sa* 
dttd^d,  laborious,  and  self-denying  Utm  for  our  salyanon.  They 
all^t,  indeed,  be  considered  our  saviouriL  m  without  their  ser- 
?iM  we  could  not  obtain  pardon  of  sin,  and  a<wt  go  to  hell.  Mow 
> ItwMonr  solemn  duty,  on  withdrawing  fi«pr^ilM»; world,  to  con* 
seorata  our  Utcs  to  rangion,  to  prMtice  eIreiioi'Miss  of  self-ds- 
aiaU  We  could  not  be  too  humble,  nor  moroly  our  fMlinga  too 
^  t  chis  WM  to  be  done  by  opposing  them,  and  acting  contrary 
to  them;  and  what  she  proposed  was,  therefore,  pleasing  in  the 
right  of  Giod.  I  now  felt  how  foolish  I  had  been  to  place  myself, 
in  tha  power  of  such  persons  m  were  around  me. 

Item  what  she  saacL  I  could  draw  no  other  ocmdusbM  but  that 
vZ  WM  required  to  aat  Uke  the  most  abandoned  of  bainga,  and  thai 
aUiay  future  aassaiaNMas  were  habitually  guilty  dC  tha  most 
habMnu  and  dstMtabIa  wtmea.  When  I  repeated  my  ezpresaiona 
of  8uptiaa4Uidhcsfar.ihatold  mathatsuoh  feelings  were  irery 
OMUBoa  at  ftisl^  and  ttiat  many  other  nuna  had  Mpisssed  thwn- 
aslffiMl  did,  w^  had  long  slaM  changed  their  minds.  She 
•aid,  that  aa  hat  mimm  into  tha  nunnery,  she  had  fdt 


«' 


n 


sha  deohuad,  were 


<Mu  greatest  aaamias.  TIm|^ 


,ui  i>iriflyillMiilni»ii>«lii<mjwii)fci»^iirt  .cw^ 


mmm 


22 


AwM  BIsabBims  of  luia  HbnL 


■i 


woidd  kad  m  to  q«Mtlott  vwry  ^nl  of  dnt j,  and  indiioe  m  to 
WftTaraivteiyttep.  They  uom  only  fcom  ramaininf  imp«rCie- 
tkmif  and  were  always  oTidaneea  <rf  nn.  Our  only  wa^  waato 
dimJbM  them  immediMtalT,  repent  and  oonfeM  them.  Fneeta,  ahe 
jhraiited,  ooold  not  tfo.  It  was  a  thing  impoinUe.  Bvetythinfr 
tiiat  they  did,  and  wished,  was  of  oonrse  right.  She  hoped  | 
would  see  the  reasonableness  and  duty  of  the  oaths  I  was  ihea  to 
take,  and  be  faithful  to  them. 

She  gare  me  another  piece  of  information,  which  esdted  other 
feelings  in  me,  scarcely  less  dreadful.  Infants  were  sometioms 
bom  m  the  GonTcnt,  but  they  were  always  baptised,  and  imme- 
diately strangled.  This  secured  their  everlasting  happiness ;  for 
the  baptism  purifies  them  from  all  sinfulness,  and  being  sent  out 
of  the  world  before  they  had  time  to  do  anything  wrong,  ther 
were  at  once  admitted  into  heayen.  How  happy,  she  exclaimed, 
are  those  wno  secure  immortal  happineseto  suoa  little  beings ! 
Thdr  souls  would  thank  those  who  kill  their  bodies,  if  they  had 
it  in  their  power. 

Into  what  a  place,  and  among  what  society,  had  I  been  admit- 
ted. How  different  did  a  convent  now  appear  from  what  I  tap* 
posed  it  to  be.  The  holv  women  I  had  always  fancied  the  nuns 
to  be,  the  venerable  Lady  Superior,  what  are  thejrP  And  the 
priests  of  the  Seminanr  adjoining,  (some  of  whom,  indeed,  I  bad 
reason  to  thilik  were  base  and  profligate  men,)  what  were  they 
all  P  I  now  learned  that  they  were  often  admitted  into  the  nun« 
nery,  and  allowed  to  indnlge  in  the  greatest  crimes,  which  they 
and  others  call  virtues. 

And  having  listened  for  some  time  to  the  Superior  alon^  a 
number  of  the  nuns  were  admitted,  and  took  a  free  part  in  the 
conversation.  They  concurred  in  everything  which  she  told  me, 
and  repeated,  without  any  signs  of  shame  or  compunction,  thinm 
which  criminated  themselves.  I  must  acknowledge  the  trvth; 
and  dedare  that  all  this  had  an  effect  upon  my  mind.  I  quaa* 
tioned  whether  I  might  not  be  in  the  wrong,  and  felt  as  if  their 
reasoning  might  have  some  just  foundation.    I  had  been  severa! 

Sears  under  the  tuition  of  Oatholics,  and  was  ignorant  of  the 
oriptures,  and  nni^ccustomod  to  the  society,  example,  and  oob» 
versation  of  Erotob  ants;  had  not  heard  any  appeal  to  the  Bibk 
as  auihority,  but  had  been  taught,  both  bv  precept  and  example, 
to  receive  as  truth  everything  said  by  the  priests.  I  had  not 
heard  their  authority  questioned,  nor  anything  said  of  any  other 
standard  of  faith  but  their  declarations.  I  had  long  been  fluid* 
liar  with  the  corrupt  and  licentious  expressions  wmch  soma  of 
them  use  at  confessions,  and  believed  that  other  women  were  also. 
I  had  no  stondard  of  duty  to  refer  to,  and  no  judgment  of  my  own 
whieh  I  knew  how  to  use,  or  thought  of  using. 

All  around  me  insisted  iliat  my  doubts  proved  only  my  own  ig- 
Boranoe  and  sinfulness ;  that  they  knew  by  experienee  that  they 
would  soon  give  place  to  true  knowledge,  and  an  advanoa  in  n* 
ligion ;  and  I  felt  something  like  indecision. 

Still  there  was  so  much  that  disgustsdme  in  the  disoovny  I 
had  now  made,  of  the  debased  characters  around  me,  that  I  would 
most  gladly  have  escaped  from  the  nunnery,  and  never  retmmad. 
But  toat  was  a  thing  not  to  be  thought  of.  I  was  in  their  pofwer, 
and  this  I  deeply  felt,  while  I  thought  there  was  not  one  Mnong 
the  whole  number  of  nuns  to  whom  I  could  look  for  UndBass. 
There  was  oae,  however,  who  be^au  to  speak  to  me  i^  length  ia 


■■  -i 


IwM  BMlDBines  «f  Karia  IobL 


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i 


I 


a  toiM  fhat  gftiiitd  mmtXblb^f  9t  my  oontdeoM,— lli«  tan  lAxm 
1  nttf  mrattcMMKl  bdEoie  u  diitiagaiilKct  by  her  odditjr,  Jan* 
Bay,  who  nuAe  ui  w  nraoh  UMuemmt  whes  I wass  qovim.  A1> 
tiMMigh,  M  JL  hare  ramarkad,  tiiwa  was  Boihing'iii  bar  faea.  lotia. 
Of  aiaiinara»  to  gire  me  any  pleasoze,  ahe  addxenad  ma  with  ^p- 
pannt  iriandliness ;  and  wmle  ahe  seemed  to  ooneav  with  soma 
thioffaq^kaa  by  tbem,  took  an  opportunity  to  whiaper  afmr 
woxdi  in  my  ear,  unheard  by  them,  intimatinff  that  I  had  beltat 
comply  wi»  every  thing  the  Superior  dedred, If  I  would  WTa  mv 
life.  I  waa  aomewhat  alarmed  before,  but  I  now  became  mioh 
mora  ao,  and  determined  to  make  no  further  zesiatance.  The  Su- 
perior then  made  me  repeat  the  three  oaths;  and,  when  I  had 
sworn  them,  I  was  shown  into  one  of  the  community'rooms,  and 
remained  some  time  with  the  nuns,  who  were  released  from  their* 
usual  employments,  and  enjoying  a  recreation  day,  on  account  of 
the  admission  of  a  new  sister.  My  feelings  during  the  remainder 
of  the  day  I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe,  but  pass  on  to  mention 
the  ceremonies  that  took  place  at  dinner.  This  description  may 
give  an  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  wa  always  took  our  meals, 
although  there  were  some  points  in  which  the  breakfast  and  sup-  . 
per  were  different 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  bell  rang  for  dinner,  and  tiie  nuns  all  took 
their  places  in  a  double  row,  in  the  same  order  as  that  in  which 
thev  left  the  chapel  in  the  morning,  except  that  my  companion 
ana  myself  were  stationed  at  the  head  of  the  line.  Standing  thna 
for  a  momtot,  with  our  hands  placed  one  on  the  other  over  the 
breast,  and  hidden  in  our  large  cuffs,  with  our  heads  bent  for- 
ward, and  eyes  fixed  on  the  ftoor,  an  old  nun,  who  atood  at  the 
door,  dapped  her  hands  as  a  signal  for  us  to  proceed ;  and  the  pro- 
eessioa  moved  on,while  we  all  commenced  therepetition  of  litanies. 
We  walked  on  in  this  order,  repeating  all  the  way  until  we  reach- 
ed the  door  of  the  dining-room,  where  we  were  divided  into  two 
lines ;  those  on  the  right  passing  down  the  side  of  the  long  table, 
and  those  on  the  left  the  other,  tiU  all  were  in ;  and  each  stopj^ed 
in  her  place.  The  plates  were  all  arranged,  each  with  a  knife, 
fork,  and  spoon,  rolled  up  in  a  napkin,  and  tied  round  with  & 
linen  band  marked  with  the  owner  mame.  My  own  plate,  knife, 
ftc,  were  prepared  like  the  rest :  and  on  the  band  around  them  I 
fonnd  my  new  name  written—"  Saint  Eustace." 

There  we  stood  till  all  had  concluded  the  litany,  when  the  old 
null,  who  had  taken  her  place  at  the  head  of  the  table  next  the 
door,  said  the  prayer  before  meat,  beginning,  **  Benedicite,"  and 
we  sat  down.  I  do  not  remember  of  what  our  dinnef  consisted, 
but  we  usually  had  soup,  and  some  plain  dish  of  meat ;  the  re- 
mains of  which  were  occasionally  served  up  at  supper  aa  a  frioa- 
see.  One  of  the  nuns,  who  had  been  appointed  to  read  that  day, 
rose,  and  begun  a  lecture  from  a  book  put  into  her  hands  by  the 
Superior,  while  the  rest  of  us  ate  in  perfect  silence.  The  nun 
who  reads  uoring  dinner,  stays  niterwards  to  dine.  As  fast  as 
we  finished  our  meals,  each  rolled  up  her  knife,  fork,  and  spoon, 
in  her  napkin,  and  bound  them  together  with  the  band,  and  sat 
with  hands  folded.  The  old  nun  then  said  a  short  prayer,  arose, 
steppod  a  little  aride,  clapped  her  haoda,  and  we  marohed  towards 
the  door,  bowing  as  we  passed,  before  a  little  ehapal,  or  glaaa  box, 
oantaining  a  wax  image  of  thaJnf ant  Jesus. 

-Nothing  important  occurred  till  lata  in  the  aftomoon.  when,  as 
I  was  sitting  m  the  community-room,  Father  Dufresne  called  me 


24         )M^TikmmiaW^ 

«tt|,«ftylttg:ii«widMatoi|M«iewl^iB«»  XfMWtdirliiitwifttm 
uAMitiaa ;  biit  I  muwd  not  aiiolMy.  In  «  fri#att'»p«ii»tli^  Iw 
trailed  m«  in  ft  bruial  mftdiMr ;  audi  horn  tiwojmkt  nrlwt^  I 
fifUnrwardtnioelT«d  dmiUur  in«g«  that  vreniiig.  VmMt  "DH^ 
fraine  afterwiurdi  ftppMured  igftin ;  and  I  was  oompelled  to  innala 
in  oompany  with  |i{m  nntil  mottiiog. 

^  I  am  aMnred  tl^at  the  oonduot  of  prieatsin  onr  OonTioli  bad 
nerer  been  expoied.  and  it  is  not  imi^ed  by  the  people  of  thf 
United  States.  This  indaees  me  to  say  what  I  do,  notwithstand* : 
ing  the  strong  reasons  I  have  to  let  it  remain  unknown.  "Stitt  X 
oannOt  force  myself  to  speak  on  snob  subjeets  esoept  in  the  most 
brief  manner. 


OHAPTEBVU. 
Dally  oeremenies— Jane  Bay  among  the  nnns. 

ONThursdar  morning,  the  bell  rang  at  half-past  sfiE  to  waken 
OS.  The  Old  nun  who  was  acting  as  night- watoh  immediately 
spoke  aloud ; 

**  Voioi  le  Seignenr  qui  yient."  (Behold  the  Lord  oometh;)  The. 
,  nuns  all  responded : 

"Aliens— ydevantlni."    (Let  us  go  and  meet  himO 

We  then  rose  immediately,  and  dressed  as  ezpeditioudy  M 
possibly,  stepping  into  the  passage-Vay,  at  the  foot  of  our  bed,  as 
soon  as  we  were  ready,  and  taking  place  each  beside  her  omKMite 
companion.  Thus  we  were  soon  drawn  np  in  a  double  row  tike 
Whole  length  of  the  room,  with  our  hands  folded  across  our 
breasts,  and  concealed  in  the  broad  cuffs  of  onrsleeyes.  Not  n 
word  was  uttered.  When  the  signal  was  given,  we  all  proceeded 
to  tiie  community-room,  which  is  spacious,  and  took  our  places  in 
rows  facing  the  entrance,  near  which  the  Superior  Was  seated  in 
avergiere. 

We  first  repeated  "  An  nom  du  Pdre,  dn  Fils,  c^  du  Saint  ShM 
prit— Aninsi  soit  il."  (In  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Qhost,— Amen.) 

We  then  kneeled  and  kissed  the  floor ;  then,  still  on  our  knees^ 
we  BKid  a  Terr  long  pn^er,  beginning^;  "  Divin  Jesus,  sanyeiup 
demon  ame,"  CDivine  Jesus,  Saviour  of  my  soul.)  Then  oaaM 
the  Lord's  prayers,  three  Hail' Marys,  four  creeds,  and  Ave  eon* 
feasions,  (confesse  &  Dieu.) 

Next  we  repeated  the  ten  commandments.  Then  we  repeats 
the  acts  of  faith,  and«  prayer  to  the  Virgin,  in  Latin,  which  likfl 
ererything  else  in  Latin,  I  never  understood  a  word  of.  N«Et  we 
said  litanies  of  the  Holy  Name  of  Jesus,  in  Latin,  which  ware  • 
afterwards  to  be  repeated  several  times  in  the  course  of  the  day* 
Then  came  the  prayer  for  the  beginning  of  the  day;  then  bend- 
ing down,  we  commenced  the  Onson  Mental,  (or  Mental  Orison.) 
^hioh  lasted  about  an  hour  and  a  half. 

This  exercise  was  considered  peculiarly  solemn.  We  were  told 
in  tiie  nunnery  that  a  certain  saint  was  saved  by  the  use  of  it,  as 
she  never  omitted  it.  It  consists  of  several  pans:  First,  tibeSa- 
perior  read  to^ns  a  diapter  from  a  book,  which  eoenpied  five  mi* 
untes.  Then*piK>found  silmoe  prevailed  for  fifteen  minutM^  dtic* 
Jng  which  we  were  meditating  upon  it.  Then  she  read  anOtlMflr 
chapter  of  equal  length  on  a  mffer^t  snbjeet,  and  we  meffitated 
upon  tbi^  another  quarter  of  an  hour ;  and  after  •  third  leadfini 
Mid  meditation,  we  finished  the  ezereise  wUh  n  prayer,  w^ttmlf^ 


■■■'••i. 


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Mi#Wtttif ttwL  bi  #lii^  w*  Mind  fMgliraiMM  for  iha  du  oom* 
Wmid  dQring  ttio  Oriion. 

,  Dning  thii  hour  «nd  a  hi^  I  baoftma'  ^ery  weaiy,  having  W* 
.  foyi'lMiii  knaAiag  for  Mnne  time,  and  having  then  to  dt  in  iao* 
,fhef  i|oaition  mofe  nnoomfortable,  with  my  feet  nnder  me,and 
■ty  nmdi  elaeped,  and  my  body  went  bumbly  forward,  with  my 
Mad  bowed  down. 
'  When  the  Orison  wai  orer,  we  all  rose  to  the  npright  kneeling 
poetare,  and  repeated  several  pravers/and  the  litanies  of  the 
providences,  'Vprovidenoe  de  Diea,'^&o.,  then  followed  a  number 
of  Lattn  prayers,  which  we  repeated  on  the  way  to  mass,  for  in 
the  nunnery  we  had  mass  daily. 

When  mass  was  over,  we  proceeded  in-  our  usual  order  to  the 
eattng-room  to  breakfast,  practiiiDg  the  samefonns  which  I  have 
desenbed  at  dinner.  Having  made  our  meal  in  silence,  we  re- 
peated the  litanies  of  the  **  holy  name  of  Jesus,"  as  we  prooeed* 
ed  to  the  conAnunity'rbom ;  and  such  as  had  not  finished  them  on 
their  arrival,  tiirew  themselves  upon  their  knees,  and  remained 
theire  until  they  had  gone  through  with  them,  and  then  kissing 
the  floor,  rose  again. 

Athine  o'clock  oommenced  the  lectore,  which  was  read  by  » 
nun  appointed  to  perform  that  duty  that  day : .  all  the  rest  of  us 
in  the  room  being  engaged  in  work. 

The  nuns  were  at  this  time  distributed  in  different  community 
rooiiis,  at  different  kinds  of  work,  and  each  was  listening  to  a 
leotnre.  This  exercise  continued  until  ten  o'clock,  when  the  re- 
oreation-bi^  rang.  We  still  continued  our  work,  but  the  nune 
bttnn  to  converse  with  each  other,  on  subjects  perlbitted  by  the 
riues,  in  the  hearing,  of  the  old  nuns,  one  of  whom  was  seated  in 
eadk  of  the^iroups; 

At  half-past  ten  the  silence  bell  rang,  and  this  conversation  in- 
stantly ceased,  and  tbe  recitation  of  some  Latin  prayers  oom- 
menced, which  continued  half  an  hour. 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  dinner-bell  ran?,  and  we  went  through 
the  2orms  and  ceremonies  of  the  preceding  day.  We  proceeded 
two  hy  two.  The  old  nun  who  had  the  command  of  us,  dapped 
her  huids  as  the  first  couple  reached  the  door,  when  we  stopped. 
The  first  two  dipped  their  fingers  into  the  font,  touched  uie  holy 
water  to  the  breast,  f  orehead^and  each  nde^hus  forming  a  woss. 
said,  "In  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Qhost,  Amen,** 
aikd  then  walked  on  to  the  dining-room  repeating  the  litanies. 
The  rest  followed  their  example.    On  reaching  the  door  the  oon- 

J  ties  divided,  and  the  two  rows  of  nuns  marched  up,  stopped,  and 
aOed  the  table  against  their  plates.     There  we  stood,  repeating 
the  dose  of  the  litany  aloud.    The  old  nun  pronounced 

"BXNBKOKB," 

ind  we  sat  down.  One  of  our  number  began  to  read  a  lecture^ 
whkh  continued  during  the  whole  meal ;  she  stays  to  eat  after 
Iha  fsst  haye  retired.  When  we  had  dined,  each  of  us  folded  up 
ovdraapkin,  and  again  folded  her  hands.  The  old  nun  thenre- 
jMitM  a  diort  prayer  in  French,  and  stepping  aside  from  tho 
.headof  the  table,  Un  us  pass  out  as  we  came  in.  Bach  of  usbow- 
•d  in  pasdng  the  little  chapel  near  the  door,  which  is  a  gjass- 
oaa^  eentaimng  a  waxen  figure  of  the  infant  Jesus.  When  we 
.MiNiad  the  oommnnity-room  we  took  our  plaoee  in  lows,  and 
lnMiili.vpo&  tbe  floor,  while  a  nun  read  aloud,  **I>oale«re  de 
aitfm  fiainte  Marie,"  (the  sorrows  of  our  holy  Mary.)   At  the  end 


^■<n<(- 


'*,: 


jtjiiia  th«  Utuy  of  tlM  pNrridmioM  Slid  tlM 


Ttiii  w»  Wmfl  tta  floor,  and,  ttfaft  tooh  oarwetfli,  wttlRloMiii^ 
to  oottvwMOB  Mvnitted  Mibjooto-pthis  i«  what  fa  ooUod  wwUTi 
M9»->liUoiioo'o|iooh.    Wolh«iibogontoz«pi!atliteiifa%oMot« 
time  in  foooeMion,  itiU  engogod  in  sewing,  for  an  hour. 

At  two  o'eleeii  eommooeed  the  afternoon  leotiMtee,  wMoli  liHed 
till  aoar  three.  At  that  hoar  one  of.  the  nnno  mod  «p  in  tiki 
middle  of  the  room,  atid  aaked  eaeh  of  nia  qaeationovt.  el  the 
eateehim ;  and  eooh  as  were  nnable  to  answer  oocrsetly  w!«ra  Ob* 
liged  to  kneel,  until  that  ezerciso  was  ooQelnded,  vnmi  aa  maa(|p 
drf  peaa  aa  there  were-  verses  in  the  chapter  oni  of  whieh  thef 
were  questioned.  This  seems  like  a  penanoe  of  no  great  impovU 
anoe ;  out  I  hare  sometimes  kneeled  on  peas  nntil  I  soffered  great 
iaeontenieaoe,  and  even  pain.  It  soon  makee  one  feel  as  if  nee* 
dlee  were  running  through  the  tkin ;  whoever  thinks  it  n  title 
had  better  tiT  it  ^ 

At  four  o'iuook  recreation  commenced,  when  we  were  aUawif^ 
as  usual,  to  speak  to  each  other  while  at  work. 
,  At  hau-paat  four  we  began  to  repeat  prayers  in  Latln^%»1lAe 
we  worked,  and  ooncladed  about  fire  e'c|ook,  when  we  ooal« 
menoed  repeating  the  "  prayers  for  the  ezaminakian  <^  oesndk 
en9e.''the  **  Mayer  after  eonfesdon,**  the  **  prayer  b^inosittik 
menv'  *nd  ^e  *'  prayer  after  sacrament.'*  Thua  we  oontfaraid 
our  work  mitil  dark,  when  we  laid  it  aside,  and  began  to  goresfir 
the  sam«  ]»ay«n  which  we  had  repeated  in  thamomini^  wttiilSi* 


eipoeption  of  the  orison  mental ;  instead  of  that  Ions  enerciae^  i||e 
eanwnined  oar  oonsdences,  to  determine  whether,  we  nad  perform^ 
ed  the  resolution  we  had  made  in  the  morning,  and  fuen  aa  hmi 
kept  it  repeated  an  "  aote  do  joie,"  or  expression  ol  gratitadi; 

wmle  iuch  aa  had  not,  said  an  "  aete  do  contritiao*'' 

When  the  prayers  were  ooncladed,  any  nun  who  had  bee»die« 
obedient  in  the  day,  knelt  and  aeked  paraon  of  the  Supeiiorand 
her  oompanions  **  for  the  scandal  she  had  eaosed  them,"  and  thaa' 
teqneeted  the  Superior  to  giTe  her  a  penanoe  of  perf  onn*  "VHieii 
all  the  penances  had  been  imposed,  we  all  proceeded  to  thaeat-  , 
Sng«room  to  supper,  repeating  litaniee  on  the  way. 

At  sapper,  the  ceremonies  were  the  same  aa  at  diniier,  efsospt 
that  tbwe  was  no  lecture  read.  We  ate  in  nlence,  and  went  oal 
bowing  to  the  dhapelle,  and  r^)eating  litanies.  Betuming  totha 
oommunity*room,  which  we  had  left,  #e  had  more  prajrws  to  re«i 
peat,  whion  are  caU6d  La  eouronne,  (crewn,)  which  eoaiiists  ol  tibc 
following  parta: 

let.    Four  Paters. 
2Qd.  Four  Ato  Marias. 
Srd.  Four  Gloria  Patiia. 
4th.    Beoissez,  Santeys. 
At  the  dose  of  these  we  kissed  the  floor;  after  which  .^  had  te- 
oreation  tiU  half-past  eight  o'clock,  being  allowed  to  converse  on 
peimitted  subjects,  but  elosely  watched,  and  notiallowed  to  sttia 
uiaownerSt.  a 

At  half-past  eight  a  bell  was  rung,  and  a  chapter  waa  lead  to 
ns^  in  a  book  of  meditations^  to  employ  our  minds  upon  duiiDi 
out  wakiag  hours  at  night. 

Staadiag  near  the  door,  we  dipped  eurflngere  in  fhebdbrwa* 
ter,  erossed  and  blessed  ourselvea,  and  proceeded  up  to  ttm:ai/lfl0* 


%' 


'■»;- 


4^Mii/iHido0inl  (■'-■Ibdi  ilNtti.. 


«AMMit 


» 


191^  w»hai  golteto 


m4  tihM  •»  old  mni»  bniigiDf  toaw  holjr  water,  ^lialdad  II  ca 
««r  liida  to4iiv«  mtat  tli«  dtfiL  wliil*  wvlook  lomftMid  !»)■■■< 

jM  nibM^dodc  ih«  b«U  nuur*  mbA  all  who  ww  wrato  Mgmt 
«d  a  fMrayti^  oallaA  tlM  dEcanoo;  fhoM  wlio  w«n  arioapwawooB* 
aidMradtaosoaiad.      ' 

Alfewmj  adniMrioa  aiaong  fhanvna^Ihadmonopportanity 
fluMtbafofa  to  obaarra  tha  oondiiet  of  nad  Jane  Bay.  f^  h^ 
luanA  q^rito  differantly  from  tha  nat,  aad  with  a  danaa  oi  Ufrttf 
{nraoonoOable  with  the  nilea;  She  was,  aa  I  have  daaerihad  bar, 
•  la^woaMug^  with  nothing- bttMitifal  or  attraotivafat  harlaaib 
!(«■,  Of  nuuimam;  earoleaiin  her  drea^  and  oi  a  roaHiia  dJijipal* 
Ilea,  whleh  proTOntad  hw  horn  applying  heraelf  to  amrtttei  far 
tty  laogth  of  tima^  and  kept  her  roiring  abont,  and  umml^Tm^ 
'  fanal^  talldag  to  aomeboay  or  other.  It  wonld  be  vaiy  ottt* 
eolito  giTo  an  aoeuzate  desoription  of  thia  atngolar  woaam; 
drataad  m  the  plain  garments  of  the  nnns,  bonna  by  tha  flaOM 
Towi,  and  aeenstomed  to  the  saaielife,  resembling  them  in  no- 
:  tiling  iSm,  and  ftaqomitljr  intermpting  all  their  emi^yaMnla. 
JEHha  waa  mppasnatir  almost  always  stadying,  or  pnrMiiag  aemn 
•diianoy;  now  nsing  irom  sewing  to  wuknp  and  down,  or 
atnq^iM  in  from  anoUMr  apartment  looking  aoont.  addrssnng 
Boaraal^^mjandpaasingont  again,  or  saying  somethuig  to  SMika 
nalattgh.  But  what  showed  she  waa  no  aorelty,  waathalitlio 
a^tanoon  paid  to  her,  and  the  levity  with  whioh  ahe  waa  tiaatad 
bytiMWholaanns;  even  the  Superior  every  day  paased  over  ir* 
lagalarlkias  in  thia  singular  perscm,  which  she  woidd  have  powi 
ilMtft  with  penance^  or  at  least  have  met  with  lepifmanda,  in  any 
OittMt.  From  what  I  saw  of  her  I  soon  perceived  that  ahe  betnqr- 
ad  tNvodisttoot  traits  of  oharaeter;  a  kind  diqsoiition  towasda 
anqh  aa  she  ohose  to  prefer,  and  a  pleasure  in  teaang  theae  «h« 
^wtifced,  or  aoeh  m'-  had  offeaded  her. 


GHAPTEB  YUL 

itssetjaiion  sf  apartOMMts  in  the  BUok  Niiimer]r,.iB  order :  lit  noor>-tBd 

ybsr-Gsmit— The    FOumiei^-Supeiior's    aumacpeaicnt    with  the 

■  frirads  of  Novioes— Beligioni  Um— OrimiBsUty  of  ooaosaUng  aiasat 


lintt  now  give  from  memory  a  general  description  of  ttia  lata* 
ri«  of  tha  Oonvent  of  Black  Nuns,  except  the  few  apartmanta 
wl^oh  I  never  saw.  I  may  be  inaccurate  in  acme  things^  aa  ttw 
apmrlmanta  and  passagea  of  that  si>acious  building  arennmetmu 
imd  -fiaridua ;  but  I  aim  willing  to  risk  my  oreditiw  truth  andsia^ 
oaiil^.oii  tha  general  e(»reapondenee  between  my  description  and 
thfa^iaaafteyara.     And  thia  would,  perikaps,baaagcoda«a8a 


m  aaj  t/ whiah  to  test  the  truth  of  but  statements,  wera  itpoa* 
snla  to  obtain  acossa  to  the  interior.  It  ia  well  known,  thitnana^ 
bwtfaOldnnmLtHI bishop  aad  priasta,  are  ever  admitted:  aad. 
4ifeoaarae,  thai  I  oaaaot  have  seen  what  I  prof esa  to  describe^  if 
thiifa  not  been  a  Maoknnn.  The  prieatswho- read  tUabcSak 
W^a#knowladga  to  thamselvaa  the  troth  «fmvdaseriji>tion;  but 
WW,  of  oonrai^  deny  it  to  tha  world,  aad  probably  aaart  them* 


.'11 


""■■J 

""'ll 


i' 


.* 


i5vi 


J-' 


filvMto^UilNjfllf  cltdtti   Zoflteto«f«nn«dtrtli»i 
aMMntonoii»  lmowi%  thifc  ttoMiiMj  poMtuy  U^co1r  dp«ttl 
MMnrMnoMM{k  anf  aOoir  the  MteMUM  ol  t^t  iMrho  e«a  i 

'  thamMlT«%  with  their  own  »••»  of  its  tmth.  thttA  o^  *  t. 
ol«r»ti6os  may  bo  thought  dofiaoiit  in*  oridonea^  and  thtofhw 
nliutof  neoeMitybointheprepent  ttato  of  things.  Bat  holOM 
a  kind  of  oTidenoo,  on  which  I  rsly,  m  I  mo  how  nnqaeslionaMM 
and  latisfaotory  it  muit  pxoTo.  whenever  it  ihall  be  oDtainod. 

If  the  interior  of  the  Black  Nunnery.  whencTcr  it  thall  be  aaiE' 
amined.  is  materially ,  different  from  the  following  description, 
then  I  sni^claim  no  confidence,  of  my  readers.  If  It  resemble  it, 
they  wiU|  I  persume,  place  confidence  in  some  of  these  deQlanM 
tions,  on  wmch  I  may  never  be  corroborated  by  true  and  liting 
witnesses. 

I  am  sensible  that  great  changes  may  be  made  in  the  famitnr* 

of  apartments:  that  new  walls  may  be  constmcted,  or'old  ones 

.remoTcd;  and  I  have  been  incredibly  informed,  that  masons  hava 

;  been  employed  in  the  Nunnery  since  I  left  it.    I  well  know,  bow* 
ever,  that  entire  changes  canuot  be  made,  and  that  enough  must 

'.  remain  as  it  was  to  sabstantiat>  my  description,  wheneTer  the 
'truth  shaU  be  known. 

The  Fira  Story, 
Beginning  at  the  extremity  of  the  western  wing  of  the  Oonveiit 

.  jowwds  Notre  Dame  street,  on  the  first  story,  there  is-* 

;     let.  The  Nuhli^  private  chapel  adjoining  which  is  apassi^  to  A 
«maU  projection  of  the  building  extending  from  the  upper  i^iy 

'  to  ^e  ground,  with'very  small  windows.     Into  the  passagS  we 
w  ere  sometimes  required  to  bring  wood  from  the  yard,  and  |^ 

■"  it  up  for  use. 

2nd.  A  large  community-room^  with  plain  benches  fixed  against 
the  wall  to  sit,  and  lower  opes  m  front  to  place  our  feet  upon. 
Qlhere  is  a  fcantain  in  the  passage  near  the  chimney  at  the  furaier 
end,  for  washing  the  hands  and  face,  with  a  green  curtain  alimng 
on  a  rod  before  It.    This  passage  leads  to  the  old  nuns'  sleeping- 
ilM>monthe  right,and  theSuperior'ssIeeping- room  just  bevonait,  as  " 
'well  as  to  a  stair-case  which  conducts  to  the  nunr  sleeping-romn, 
or  donnitoire  above.    At  the  end  of  the  passage  is  a  door  opening 
,into— 
.  8rd.  The  dining-roQm ;  this  is  larger  than  the  community •ro(nil» 
and. has  three  long  tables  for  eating,  and  a  chapelle,  or  coUectiioiii 
^f  little  pictures,  a  crucifix,  and  a  small  image  of  the  infant  8atl<>  * 
^ionr  in  a  glass  case.    This  apartment  has  four  doors,  by  the  firit 
of  which  we  are  supposed  to  have  entered,  while  one  opeostoa 
^^try,  and  the  third  and  fourth  to  the  two  next  apartments.     . 
..  4th.  Alarge  community-room,  with  tables  for  sewing,  and  a 
stair-case  on  the  opposite  left-hand  comer. 

5th.  A  community-room  forprayer  used  by  both  nuns  and  no- 
vices. In  the  further  right-hand  comer  is  a  small  room,  paxti- 
tidned  off,  called  the  room  for  examination  of  consoienos,  whi^  I 
had  visited  while  a  novice  by  permission  of  the  Supttior^Sundt:. 
mime  nuns  and  novices  occasionally  resorted  to  refieot  on  ttntqop 
diaraoter,  usually  in  pi  aparation  for  the  sacrament,  or  when  tiiey 
li#d  transgressed  some  of  their  rulee.  This  littib  room  was  hardly ; 
lane  enough  to  contain  half  a  doaen  persons  at  a  time. 

^.  Nen,  beyond,  is  a  large  community-room  for  Sundays.  A 
doorlM&itotheyard,«ndtnencetoagate  in  tha  waU  on  Vm 
•rossstreet. 


}.:'-' 


s 


'iLB 


*!(  1  * 


'*• 


SMtmni  df  fttitft  iuM       n 


TMi.  M|oii|iiiff  «hit  it  •  •itt&ii  looii,  hm^g  tn  ^ 

iMt^wlQif«olHndoiri,ttada«lonioomoiitlii^^  opsoiil*, 
thin.    Vh«»fo  bat  Uttt«funittiif«.«nd  that  ▼«f7pUia. 

flOu  IVom  this  loom  a  door  leads  into  what  Imay  eall  tha  was- 
rgMBf  M  it  eontaini  manT  figures  in  wasc.  not  intended  for  lale. 
TliM  we  eomeiiniet  need  to  pray,  or  meaitate  oi^  the  SaTienr'i 
pipwn.  This  room  projects  from  the  main  bnUdin> ;  leaTinjr  it, 
jcu  entar  a  Ions  passage,  with  cupboards  on  the  rigbi^  in  wmoh 
aM  stored  erooKery-ware,  knives  and  forks,  and  other  artideeof 
table  fomitnxe,  to  replace  those  worn  out  or  broken— all  of  tho 
^Unest  description ;  also,  shoyels,  tongs,  fto.  This  passage  leads 

9th.  A  comer  room,  with  a  few  benches,  ftc,  and  a  door  lead- 
ing to  a  gate  in  the  street.  Here  some  of  the  medicines  were 
kept,  and  persons  were  often  admitted  on  business,  or  to  obtain 
medicines  with  tickets  from  the  priests;  and  waited  till  the  Sn- 
perior  or  an  old  nnn  could  be  sent  fot.  Beyond  this  room  we 
aerer  w«re  allowed  to  go ;  and  I  cannot  speak  from  personal 
knowledge  of  what  came  next. 

The  Second  SUny. 

Beginning,  as  before,  at  the  western  extremity  of  the  norfli 
winir,  bat  on  the  second  story,  the  furthest  apartment  in  that  di« 
leetton  whidh  I  oyer  ebtered  was,— 

1st.  The  nuns'  sleeping.room,  or  dormitoire.  which  I  have  al- 
ready described.  Here  is  an  aceesB  to  the  projection  mentioned 
in  spealdng  of  the  first  story.  The  stairs  by  which  we  came  np 
to  bed  are  at  the  further  end  of  the  room ;  and  near  them  a  om- 
oifix  and  font  of  holy  water.  A  door  at 'the  end  of  the  room 
opens  into  a  passage,  with  two  small  rooms,  and  dosets  between 
thenu  cont^ning  bed-clothes.    Next  yon  enter, — 

2nd.  A  small  community-room,  beyond  which  is  a  passage 
with  A  narrow  staircase,  seldom  used,  which  leads  into  ibe  foorth 
«ommnnity-room,  in  the  fourth  stoty.  Following  the  passage 
lost  mentioned,  you  enter  by  a  door, — 

Sfed.  A  little  sitting-room,  furnished  in  the  following  man- 
ner :— with  chairs,  a  sofa  on  the  north  side,  covered  with  a  red- 
figored  coyer  and  fringe ;  a  table  in  the  middle,  commonly  bear- 
ing one  or  two  books,  an  inkstand,  pen,  &o.  At  one  comer  is  a 
lime  projection  into  the  room,  caused  by  a  staircase  iMding  from 
9boTe  to  ttie  floor  below,  without  any  communication  with  the 
second  story.  This  room  has  a  door  opening  upon  a  staircasa 
leading  down  to  the  yard,  on  the  opposite  side  of  which  is  a  gate 
o|iening  into  the  cross  street.  By  this  way  the  physidan  is  ad- 
initted,  except  when  he  comes  latc»  than  usual,  wnen  he  comes 
in,  he  usually  sits  a  little  while,  until  a  nun  goes  into  the  adjoin- 
ing buna'  siok-room,  to  see  if  all  is  ready,  and  returns  to  admit 
,  him.  After  prescribing  for  the  patients,  ho  goes  no  further,  but 
returns  by^  the  way  he  enters ;  and  these  are  the  onl.T  rooms  injto 
whidi  he  is  ever  admitted.  ' 

^.  The  nnnsf  sick-room  adjoins  the  little  sitting-itoom  on  tibe 
wuKf  and  haiL  I  think,  four  windows  towuds  the  north,  witii 
beds  ranged  in  two  rows  from  end  to  end,  and  a  few  more  be- 
tween them,  near  The  opposite  extremity.  The  door  to  the  sit- 
ting-room swings  to  the  left,  and  behind  it  is  a  table,  while  a 
glass  ease  on  the  right  contains  a  wax  figure  of  the  infant  Savi* 
otte^  with  several  sheep.  Kearthe  nortn-eastem  comer  of  this 
room  ace  two  doors^  one  of  which  opens  into  a  long  and  narrow 


&H 


,^Miil  BfaNUSQCf  fiWisik  Hoik 


oomMuAwilMn        •      — ^ 


tkip  *•  btH  ftl;  tiM  gate,  wUoh  I WM  toM  had  •  «OM0ri«d  pill, 
teoira  only  to  him  acd  &ii6priwli,ptoeeedtiip  itaiii  and  ihiMigk 
4lwpaMag«^  nuppiag  thiM  tfniMat  tht  door  of  thariakwaw, 
whkfe  la  ^ipaaaflpy  a  nnii  in  attondanoa,  after  dia  haa  gtHm  «•• 
n^te  laply.  when  ha  haa  Tiaitad  his  patiauta  and  yatiribid 
lor  thaaa,  ha  ntam  by  tha  Mune  way. 

Ml.  Sfozt  bayoud  tha  aidc^room,  la  a  lavga  nnoaoapiad  apart- 
laaBt,  half  divided  by  two  partial  pertitioas,  whidh  ^^  %ve  an  open 
qMUM  in  the  middle.  Hare  lome  of  the  old  nnns  oc.timonly  meat 
in  Hia  day  time. 

6th.  A  door  flrom  thia  apartment  opens  into  another,  not  appio- 
priatad  to  any  peenliar  nse,  but  oontidning  a  table,  waere  JMdi* 
einea  are  somenmes  prmparad  by  an  old  nnn,  who  iansoally  found 
theea.  Pauing  through  thia  room,  you  enterapassaga^  irith 
doors  on  ita  four  sides;  that  on  the  lefc,  which  is  krat  faatanad 
on  the  inside,  leads  to  the  staircase  and  ^te ;  uid  that  in  ficoot 
to  theraiTate  sick*rooms.  soon  to  be  desonbed. 

7th.  That  on  the  right  leads  to  another,  apmropriated  to  nnns 
aaABring  with  the  most  loathsome  disease.  There  waa  nanally  a 
nnmber  of  straw  mattresses  in  that  room,  as  I  well  know,  havisg 
helped  to  oai(y<them  in,  after  the  ]rard>man  had  filled  them.  A 
do<Etr  beyond  enters  into  a  store-room,  whtoh  extends  also  beyond 
this  apartment.  On  the  right,  another  door  opana  into  aaothjT 
paaMge,  orossing  which,  yoa  enter  by  a  door. 

8th.  A  room  with  bed  and  screen  in  one  comer,  on  whidinaaa 
wave  laid  to  be  examined,  before  their  introduction  into  thasisit* 
room  last  mentioned.  Another  do^r,  opposite  the  formari  opana 
into  a  Mssage;  in  which  is  a  staircase  leading  down. 

9th.  Beyond  this  is  a  spare  room,  sometimes  need  to  atocaap" 
plas.  boxes  of  different  things,  fto. 

10th.  Betaming  now  to  the  passage  whidi  opens  on  one  ilda 
npon  the  stairs  to  the  gate,  we  enter  the  only  remaining  door, 
which  leads  into  an  arortment  usually  occupied  1^  aorna  oitiMi 
old  nuns»  and  frequently  hy  tiie  Superior. 

lltb  and  12th.  Beyond  this  are  two  more  rick«rooms,in  onaef 
whioh  those  nnns  stay  who  are  waiting  their  acoouehman^  and 
in  the  other  (&ose  who  haTe  passed  iti 

-  ISth.  The  next  is  a  small  Bittiog-room,  where  a  priest  waits  ta 
baptise  the  infants  previous  to  their  murder.  A  passage  laada 
from  this  room  on  the  left,  by  the  doors  of  two  succeeding  qpaA« 
meats,  neither  of  which  have  I  ever  entered. 

lith.  The  first  of  them  is  the  **  holy  retreat,"  or  room  oeoopied 
by  the  priests,  while  snffermg  the  penalty  of  thek  licentionsneps* 

16th.  The  other  is  a  sitting-nxmi,  to  wi^oh  they  have  access. 
Beyond  these,  the  passage  leads  to  two  rooms,  containing  doastfc 
for  tha  storage  of  various  articles ;  and  two  ouiers,  where  paMUM 
ate  received  who  come  on  business. 

1%e>«iblio  hon>itale  succeed,  and  ortend  a  considetabla  cHa- 
tance-^  believe,  to  the  extremity  o^the  boildljiig.  Byapirtilia 
entraiioe  in  that  part,  priests  often  come  into  tiiaKuauieiT';  and 
I  have  often  eeen  some  of  tiiem  thereabonta,  who  nraat  havean- 
teted  that  way.  Indeed,  priesta  often  get  into  tha  **  holy  Mtaaat* 
withdttt  esposing  tiieBsselvesintheviewofpeiaeaain'tbaollMr 
|Nwts  of  the  Convent,  and  have  been  first  known  to  be  tSwiie,  hp 
the  y axd-nuns  beiujf  iaut  to  the  Seminary  for  their  clothes.  . 


■•>(! 


^! 


>." 


km 


1{^  OoBgnnllMal  HtoMiy  ww  ioudtdlif*^ 
ilMBMdqM**  SttMi«M«tdlMfilinlfcNilrMLMidkilp»> 
MtAv  f6vfh«lottbflftllan  of  ft  OoBVMt.  H«r  body  ubtfifiL  aaA 
ditlMHitktptttndArfhoKumMfytefniioii  oljwfe,  wUoiiluM 
WMiAMmtoaOfWillitlMMMinaM  tiMt  it  ooitiiNWi  in  pivfial 
Mtwmutiop,  •IthOMh  <w  h«i  b<—  aMd«ioi«tlMi«(oa«h«ndnA 
M  Ittlr  srwn.  ^la  tho  eli«p«l  to  tlio  folloiHagJmwimwi  t 
••floMir  Boargooiitk  loadatiift da  Ck»T«iift."  Otottv  .PBuryuiw^ 
Vooi^ttr  of  ttio  Oo&Tfliit.) 

IfoUiiBg  WM  mon  ommaoB  Uuui  for  the  BoMviorto  itep  bMlik 
hr  Mo  our  oomamnity-room,  wUle  nnmbon  of  «•  waco  HMmUed 
UMTk  and  luutily  oommonioate  h«r  wtohM  in  wofdci  Uk«  thtit  t-- 

''Savoantho  jNuontit  of  imohanoTioo;  eomo  witii  mcLttid 
batt me  out  in  "*  (  *!oty."  Sh«%oQld  than  mantlon  the  outMnai 
cf  n  tiMva  of  ft.. .  afi  x)da  ihe  hhd  joat  invented,  that  we  n^ht  be 
IMtottad  to  fM)iioiU)e  oinmaiatMoea)  and  throw  in  whatever  alae 
odgntlvroar  the  deoeption.  Thia  waa  Jnatifled  and  indeed  aoat 
Mgp^  eoptmnnded,  by  the  ayctem  of  faith  by  whiohweaMin- 
ifenrattdt 

It  waa  a  oommon  remark  alwaya  at  the  initiation  of  a  newnm 
into  tiie  Black  nvn  department,  that  ia.  to  reedTO  the  btoek  Teil, 
thatiHie  introdnetion  of  another  nOTioe  into  the  oonyentaa  a  vail- 
ed nnn,  alwaya  oanaed  the  introduction  of  a  veiled  nan  into  hea* 
>  van  aa  a  aiiiii%  whkdi  waa  on  acconnt  of  the  aingnlar  diaupear- 
nioe  «f  VMHiML  of  the  older  nana  alwaya  at  the  mtrnnoe  of  new 


*  lb  witneaa  the  acenea  which  often  oooorred  between  oa  and 
atrangeta  wtfald  have  atmok  a  peraon  moat  powerfnlly,  if  he  had 
hB»Wtt  how  trath  waa  act  at  nought.  The  Superior,  with  a  aeri- 
oaa  and  digniSed  air,  and  a  pleasant  voice  and  aspect,  wonld  com- 
m««oe  it  recital  of  thmga  moat  favourable  to  the  character  of  the 
abUnt  iieviee,  representing  her  equally  fond  of  her  aitoation,  and 
beiofMbythe  other  inmatea.  The  tale  told  by  the  Superior^ 
miatwflir  it  waa,  however  unheard  before  might  liave  been  any 
«f  her  itatemantB,  was  then  attested  by  us,  who  in  every  wi^f  wt 
«i(pidd  Hiifkk  o^  endeavoured  to  confirm  her  deolarattooa  bag^ond 
»e  iceadh  of  doubt. 

Smetimea  thejBuperior  would  entmat  the  managementof  ao^ 
a  «tm  to  atmie  or  the  nana,  whether  to  habitnate  na  to  the  piao« 
tiee  in  which  afae  waa  ao  highly  accomplished,  or  to  relieve  her> 
adf  of  what  would  have  been  a  serious  burden  to  moat4>ther 
peratntfe,  or  to  aaoertain  whether  she  could  depmid  upon  ns,  oaridi 
together,  I  cannot  tell.  «Often,  however,  have  I  seen  her  throw 
open  a  door,  and  say,  in  a  harried  manner,  ''Whc  oantdltiie 
beit  akny  P" 

One  pMnt,  on  wUoh  we  have  recced  frequent  and  partimlar 
inatracliona  was,  the  nature  oi  falaehoods.  On  this  subject  I  have 
heoid  nuu^  a  speech,  I  had  almost  said  many  a  sermon;  and  I 
ma  led  to,beUeve  tut  it  waa  one  of  great  importance^  one  on 
triiidi  %  %«i  a  duty  to  be  well  informed,  as  well  oa  to  aet. 
**  What  I"  acclaimed  a  prieat  one  day— "what,  a  nan  of  yoor 
aoa^  and  not  know  the  offorence  between  a  wicked  and  a  i«U« 

^a^r» 

BettMatW«aton,-aa  had  been  done  many  Mmee  pvevionifyin 
my  heailnir,  to  diow  the  eaaential  diffarence  between  the  two  dtf- 
i«oat  kind*  of  ffclaehooda.  A  lie  told  merely  for  the  iaiasr  of 
«pofibev,te  onrown  interest  alone,  or  for  no  ohjeot  atol^be 


A--  .H, 


*'M 


■■^ 


88  . '    'JkwtA  ObdMRiiai  of  Vuii  iumfrt  ^ 

p«iittdMAdnirofttiyotp«BaaM.— B«t  A}i«(olA  fotlUfe#l^ 
ol  ^«  eluinh  or  oonTtnt,  wm  mtrit(»toYU,  aiid  ol  povnt  iMWiU 
nt  <tf  ii  ft  datj. '  And  of  ttiit  dtm  of  Um  th«ra  w«t  mtmy  n^. 
MUM  ftad  ihftdM.  Iliii  dootrint  has  botn  iooolofttod  on  p*  «ad 
ay  oompftoioDk  io  flit  nunnwry,  moio  timM  than  I  oaa  ti»UMi*> 
ftte :  ftnd  to  ny  tiiftt  it  wm  gonerally  nooiTod,  would  bo  to  tiH 
ptnof  thetnitb.  WeoftenMwthepnotiooof  it,ftnd  wmmIp^ 
oatntly  miide  to  leaks  part  in  it.  Whonerer  anything  whi«li  flia 
oaperior  thought  important,  oould  1^  most  oonToniontly  aooonp 
pUihed  by  faliehood,  she  rewrtad  to  it  without  ■oroplo. 

Thoro  wat  a  data  ol  oaaei^  in  whioh  aha  mora  fraquantiy  ilIMt 
on  deorotion  than  any  other.  ^ 

The  nionds  of  noTioai  freqaently  applied  at  the  OouTeatfto  Mi 
fham,  or  at  least  to  inquire  afteMoeur  welfare.  It  waa  oonunou 
for  them  to  be  politely  ref oaed  an  interriew,  on  i^ma  aoooubt  ov 
other,  generally  a  mere  pretext ;  and  then  tha  Superior  genaral||( 
sought  to  make  as  f ayourable  an  impression  aa  possibto  oa  fM 
▼iaitors.  Sometimes  she  would  make  up  a  atofy  oa  the  spot^  aii4 
tell  tho  strangers ;  requiring  some  of  us  to  donflrm  it  in  tna  mosli 
oonyinoing  way  we  oould. 

▲t  other  times  she  would  prefer  to  make  orer  to  oa  the  task  of 
deoeiving,  and  we  were  oommended  iu  proportion  to  our  ingaus* 
ity  andsuecess.  ■^.,, 

Qoma  nun  usuallf  showed  her  submission,  by  immediately  tUip* 
ping  forward.  She  would  then  add,  perhaps,  that  the  pazanta  of 
Buoh  a  novice,  whom  she  named,  were  in  WMting,  and  it  waa  uot 
eessary  that  they  should  be  told  suoh  and  suoh  Ihings.  To  per- 
form so  difficult  a  task  well,  was  considered  a  difflomt  dufy,  aa<l 
it  WM  one  of  the  most  certain  ways  to  gain  the  favour  of  the  Su^ 
pallor.  Whoever  volunteered  to  make  a  story  on  the8pot,i>a« 
aant  immediately  to  tell  it,  and  the  other  nuns  proMut  were  huZi< 
riad  off  with  her  under  strict  |ajunotions  to  uphold  her  in  avary-  ' 
thing  she  might  state.  The  Superior,  A  there  waa  ecvery  raaaoa 
to  believe,  on  all  such  occasions,  when  she  did  not  herself  appear^ 
hastened  to  the  apartment  adjoining  that  in  whioh  tha  nuns  were 
going,  there  to  listen  through  the  tun  partition,  to  hear  whetkav 
all  performed  their  parts  aright.  It  wm  not  unoommon  for  her 
to  go  rather  further,  when  she  wanted  to  give  suoh  esplanationa 
u  she  oould  haye  desired.  She  would  then  otter  abruptly,  «nd 
Hk, "  Who  can  tell  a  good  storv  this  morninff  P"  and  hurry  oa  dl 
wiukout  a  moment's  delay,  to  do  our  best.at  a  venture,  withonl^^ 
waitine  for  instructions.  It  would  be  curious,  oould  a  stnuigar 
from  the  "wicked  world"  outside  thePonvenL  witness  snon  ft 
scene.  One  of  the  nuns,  who  felt  in  a  favourable  humour  to  nn* 
dertake  the  proposed  task,  would  step  promptly  forward,  and  sig- 
nify her  readineu  in  the  usual  way,  oy  a  knowing  wink  of  one 
eye,  and  a  slight  toss  of  the  head. 

**  Well,  go  and  do  the  best  you  can,"  the  Superior  would  say.  t 
**  and  all  uie  rest  of  you  mind  and  BWeax  to  it.''  The  lattnr  pwl 
of  the  or^r,  at  leMt,  wm  always  performed  ;  for  inlvery  caaa, 
all  the  nuns  prcMot  appeared  m  unanimous  witnessM  of  avefy* 
thing  that  wm  uttered  oy  the  sjpokeswoman  of  the  day. 

We  were  constantly  hearing  it  repeated,  that  we  must  never 
again  look  upon  ourselvm  m  our  own ;  bu^  must  remeniber^  thai 
we  were  solely  and  irrevocably  devoted  to  God.    Whatevar  waa 
required  of  us,  we  were  callM  upon  to  yield  under  the  meat  so*  - 
tonn.  Gousiderationa.     I  oannot  speak  on  avery  partioular  with 


/a 


*:-■ 


Ni 


* 

If 

%       : 

It 


her 

rat 


IwM  dfldlosara  of  lula  llonk.         8S 

•qoalflMdemt  Imt I wiA my iMdon oImiIj to midanlMid tti« 
floadttien  fai  whinh  w  wen  puMd,  and  the  meeni  weed  to  aedace 
«■  to  what  wo  hod  to  snbmit  to.  Not  only  woM  wo  reqoiNd  to 
peitem  the  iOTfval  toehe  iapoaod  upon  us  ot  work,  proyen,  oad 
poDonoei^  under  the  idea  that  wo  were  perfuming  aolonn  dutiea 
to  oar  Maker,  but  overTtUng  elee  whioh  waa  roqnired  of  oa,  we 
were  oonatantly  told,  waa  something  indiapenaaUe  in  hia  eight. 
The  vriests,  wo  admitted,  were  the  senranta  of  Ood,  eapedally 
appointed  bj  hie  authority,  to  teaeh  ns  oar  dntr,  to  abeolTo  ue 
'from  sin,  and  load  ua  to  heoTen.  Withont  their  asaistanee,  we 
had  allowed  we  eonid  nerer  enjoy  the  laTonr  of  Gkxl ;  nnleaothey 
administered  the  sacrament  to  us,  we  oould  noteojoy  orerlasting 
hap^ees.  Hating  oousented  to  acknowledge  all  this»  we  had 
no  okrieotion  to  urge  against  admitting  any  ^or  demand  that 
might  be  made  for  or  by  them.  If  we  thonght  an  act  OTer  so 
eiiminal,  the  Superior  would  tell  ns  that  the  ^esta  acted  under 
the  direct  sanetion  of  God,  and  could  not  iin.  Of  course,  then,  it 
oould  not'bo  wrong  to  comply  with  any  of  their  reouests,  beoanse 
they  could  not  dMnaod  anyuiing  but  what  waa  nght.  On  the 
oontrary,  to  refuse  to  do  anything  they  asked  would  neoesaarily 
be  duful.  Sttoh  dc  trinee  admitted,  and  such  praotieea  perform- 
ed, it  will  not  seem  wonderful  when  I  mention  that  we  often  felt 
aomothing  of  their  preposterous  charaotw. 

Sonetimea  wo  took  pleasure  in  ridiculing  some  of  thefaTOurite 
themes  of  our  teachers ;  and  I  recollect  one  subject  particularly, 
which  at  one  period  aaorded  us  repeated  merriment.  It  may 
seem  irroTerent  in  me  to  give  the  account,  but  I  do  it  to  ehow 
how  things  of  a  solemn  nature  were  sometimes  treated  in  the  con- 
▼ent,  by  wmnen  bearing  the  title  of  saints.  A  Canadian  novice^ 
who  spoke  Tory  broken  English,  one  day  remarked  that  she  waa 
performing  some  doty  "forthoQod."  This  peculiar  ezpresaibn 
bad  somettiing  ridi«aloua  to  the  ears  of  some  of  us :  and  it  waa 
Boon  repeated  again  and  again,  in  application  to  ▼arions  eeremo- 
nice  which  wo  had  to  perform.  Mad  Jane  Bay  seised  upon  it 
with  aTidityj  and  with  her  aid  it  soon  took  the  place  of  a  bv- word 
in  conversation,  so  that  we  were  ooostantly  reminding  each  other 
that  we  were  doing  this  thing  and  that  thing,  how  trifling  and 
unmeanine  syerer,  *'  for  the  God."  Kordid  we  stop  here;  when 
the  Snperfor  called  upon  us  to  bear  witness  to  one  of  her  religi- 
one  lies,  or  to  fabricate  the  most  spurious  one  the  time  would  ad- 
mit; to  save  her  the  trouble,  we  were  sure  to  be  reminded,  on  our 
way  to  the  stiranger's  r6om,  that  we  were  doiiis[  it  '*  for  the  Ood." 
And  so  it  was  when  other  things  were  mentioned— everrthin^ 
whioh  belonged  to  our  condition  was  spoken  of  in  somewhat  si- 
milar  terms. 

I  haye  hardly  detained  the  reader  long  enough  on  this  subject 
to  give  him  a  fust  impression  of  the  stress  laid  on  ooof  sssion.  It 
is  one  of  the  great  points  to  which  our  attention  was  constantly 
directed.  We  were  directed  to  keep  a  striot  and  constant  waton 
oyer  ourthoaghta;  to  haye  continually  before  our  minda  the 
rules  of  the  conyent,  to  compare  tiie  one  with  the  other,  remem- 
ber eyery  deyotion.  and  tell  lUl,  eyen  the  smallest,  at  confession, 
oithertotheSupeilorortotlieprieet.  My  mind  was  thus  kept 
in  a  qontinual  state  of  aotiyity,  whioh  proyed  yery  wearisome; 
attd  it  tequfared  the  constant  exertion  of  our  teachers  to  keep  us 
up  to  th#pi|utioa  th^  inculcated. 

AiiOthArtiii  Wjours  to  me,  of  tiioee  whioh  were  frequently  told 
tu,  to  make  ualeel  tte  importance  of  nnreseryed  ooiuessicm. 


84        iwM  IMidMoiii  of  lifia  IbaL 


▲  Bfui  dt  ooar  •onvwli  who  kad  bidtai  mbo  lia 
fcnor,  ditd  luddmly,  and  wilhovt  uy  on*  lo  oonftM  hir.  Utv 
ritttn  UMmbtod  lo  vnj  lor  tho  ommo  of  htr  soul,  whoa  A»  mp» 
pMftd,  Mid  inlonMa  thtm  tluil  it  would  bo  of  no  qm.  bol  nlkor 
tiooUoiomo  to  htn,  m  h«r  poidon  w«tf  ImpoMiblo.  Tao  doatriao 
is,  tbol  pmy tn  BMOo  f or  Mmlo  foilty  of  onoonfOMod  lia,  do  b«l 
■iok  Ikom  OMpor  in  boll;  •adlbii«U  tho  roMon  I  bat*  botid 
ffiron  for  not  proying  for  Frotostonta. 

Tbo  ontbonty  of  too  prioats  in  oTorytbing,  and  tbo  oaormity  of 
trory  aot  wbiob  oppoMO  it,  woro  «l«o  imra«Med  npon  onr  mindly 
in  Tnriont  woyi,  by  oar  tooobora.  ▲  **  Fatbor"  told  no  tbo  loU 
lowing  itory  ono  day  at  oAteobitm. 

▲  man  oneo  diod  wbo  bad  f  ailod  to  pay  lOBia  monoy  wbiob  tho 
priMt  had  aakad  of  bim ;  bowaa  oonaomned  to  bo  bamt  in  pniw 
gatory  nntil  bo  ibonld  pay  it,  bat  bad  pormiMion  to  oomo  baokto 
thif  world,  and  tako  a  bnnian  body  to  work  in.  Ho  mado  kli  ^7 
poaranoo,  iboreforo,  i«ain  ou  oanb,  ;.jid  birod  bimielf  to  b  rich 
man  aa  a  labonror.  &  worked  all  day,  with  tbo  Are  working  in 
bin,  nnaeen  by  other  people ;  but  while  be  wai  in  bed  ttiat  iilgbti 
a  girl  in  an  adjoining  room,  peroeiTing  the  smell  of  brimitoni^ 
looked  through  a  eraok  in  the  wall,  and  saw  him  eoTwed  with 
flames.  She Inf  ormed  bis  master,  wbo  questioned  him  tho  nezi 
morning,  and  found  that  his  hired  man  was  seoretly  suffering  tha 

Eains  of  purgatory,  fo;  neglecting  to  pay  a  oertain  sum  of  money 
>  tho  piieslT  He,  thereiore,  funushea  blm  with  the  amount  due; 
it  was  paid,  and  the  set  cant  went  off  immMiatelyto  beaTon. 
'^e  priest  oanaot  f  orgire  any  debt  due  unto  him,  beoause  it  is  tha 
liord^s  estate. 

While  at  confession,  I  waa  urged  to  hide  nothing  firom  the 
priests,  and  bare  been  told  by  them,  that  they  already  Knew  what 
was  in  my  heart,  but  would  not  tell,  beoause  it  was  neoessary  for 
me  to  oonfess  it.  I  really  beliered  that  the  prifsts  were  acquaint- 
ed with  my  thoughts ;  and  often  stood  in  awe  of  ibem.  They  ofteo 
told  mo^  they  had  power  to  strike  me  dead  ^i  any  moment. 


0HAPTE2  EC 

VuDM  with  similar  namas— Sqaaw  nana— Flni  Tidt  to  tha  cellar— Daserip* 
tion  of  it— Shocking  diacovary  there— Soperior'a  inatructioDa— Prifata 
atonal  of  tha  prieete- Booka  used  in  the  Nannery-Opiniona  azpreaaad 
Mtha  Bibla-^Bpadmena  of  what  I  know  of  tha  Boripturea. 

I  wouiiD  that  I  bad  seyeral  namesakes  anK>ng  the  uun%  for  there 
were  two  others  who  bad  already  borne  away  my  new  name, 
Saint  Eustace.  This  was  not  a  soutary  case,  for  there  were  fire 
Saint  Marys,  and  three  Saint  Monroe,  besides  two  novices  of  that 
name.  Ox  my  nameaakea.  I  haye  little  to  aay,  for  they  reaembled 
moat  nuna ;  being  ao  mnon  cut  off  from  interoourae  with  me  and 
other  sisters,  that  I  tfever  saw  anything  in  theih,  nor  learnt  any* 
thing  about  them,  worth  mentioning. 

SoToriJ  of  my  new  companions  we^  squaws,  who  had  taken 
the  Toil  at  different  times.  They  were  from  some  of  the  Indian 
settlements  in  the  country,  but  were  not  diatinguiababla  by  any 
atfUdng  babita  of  cbaraotcir  from  other  nuna,  and  were  generaUj 
not  Tory  different  in  their  appearanoe  when  in  ^heir  usual  drossy 
and'engaged  in  their  customary  ooonpations.  It  was  eridentthef 
were  trealed  with  much  kinduesa  and  lenity  by  fJia  Superior  ana 
thaoldnaBSi  and  this  I  disooTONd  waa  dona  in  order  toiindat 


»IWR»I5W!?>!W 


IvM  OWum  tf  Ink  iBiilL 


m4  aiMald  hat»  lAMbiitad  tka  oMtifw  fot  lliif  pMlia%  IQ  «Mff 
wtMsff tkAllktj Miflbt AOl laflMiiM oIlMn to  kMp«waj,kail 
I  Ml  KoowB  Ihtj  win,  lik«  oontlTM^  vnabU  lo  •xtrt  worn  im 
laflotiiM*  And  thMifor*,  I  ooald  not  Mtiaf  j  my  own  mind  wkj 
this  dillMMM  WM  made.  Hmj  of  tho  Indisnt  wtto  rtmaricablj 
dofottd  to  tho  prfMt^  b«)U«ti!:s  oftrjuing  thoy  won  longhf i 
•nd  M  il  ii  xo|MrMOut«a  to  bo  not  only  n  Ugn  hoiionr,  bal  n  nol 
advontago  to  n  familj,  to  hata  ona  of  ita  niemban  boooaa  f .  nan, 
Xadian  navanta  will  ofUn  pay  larga  aami  of  monaf  for  tiia  admia- 
aion  of  thair  daogbtan  into  a  conTont.  Thafathac  of  onaoftha 
aqnawi^  I  waa  told,  paid  to  tha  Saparior  naarly  bar  waigbt  in  ail- 
Tar  on  bar  raaaption,  althongb  ba  waa  obligad  to  aall  naarly  all 
bia  proparty  to  lalaa  tba  monay.  Tbia  ba  did  Tolnntarily,  ba- 
oavia  ba  tbongbt  bimialf  orarpaid  by  baring  tba  adTantagia  of 
bar  prayara,  aalf •aaorifloaa,  fto.,  for  bimaalf  and  tba  ramaindar  of 
Ua  nnuly.  Tba  aqnawa  aometimaa  aarrad  to  amnaa  na;  for  wbaa 
wa  wara  partially  diipiritad  or  gloomy,  tba  Suparior  would  oooa- 
•lonally  aand  ibam  to  draaa  tbemMlraa  m  tbair  Indian  garmanta, 
wbiob  oanally  azdtad  ua  to  merrimant. 

Among  tba  aquaw  nana  whom  I  partienlarly  ramambar,  waa 
•na  of  tba  Saint  Hypolitei,  not  tba  ona  wbo  flgurad  in  a  draadfol 
soana,  daaoribad  in  anotbar  part  of  tbia  narratiVa^  but  n  woman  of 
n  far  more  mild  and  bumana  obaractar. 

Tbraa  or  four  day  a  after  my  reception,  tba  Saparior  aant  ma  in- 
to tba  oallalr  for  ooala :  and  after  aba  bad  giren  ma  diraotiona,  I 
{»rooaadad  down  a  ataireaaa  witb  a  lamp  in  my  band.  I  aoon 
ound  myaalf  on  tba  bare  aartliT  in  a  apaoioua  vlaoa,  ao  dark  tbat 
loouldnotatonoa  diatinguiah  ita  form  or  aiiM,  but  I  obaarred 
tbat  it  bad  TaiT  aolid  fetona  walla,  and  waa  arobed  OTerbead,at 
no  great  eleranon.  Following  my  directiona,  I  prooeeded  on^ 
waraa  from  tba  foot  of  tha  ataira,  wi;ere  appeared  to  be  one  and 
of  tba  oallar.  After  walking  about  fliteen  pacea,  I  paaaed  tbree 
amaU.  doora,  on  tha  right,  f  aatened  witl^  large  iron  bolta  on  tha 
ontaide,  puuied  into  posts  of  atone  work,  and  eaohJutTing  a  amall 
opening  abore,  ooTered  witb  a  fine  grating,  aafured  by  a  amaller 
bolt.  On  my  left  were  three  aimilar  docra,  reaembling  thaae,  and 
plaoed  oppoute  them. 

Beyond  these,  the  space  became  broader;  ttia  doora  erridantly 
doaed  amall  oompartments,  projecting  from  the  outer  wall  of  tho 
cellar.  I  aoon  stepped  upon  a  wooden  floor,  on  which  wete  heapa 
of  Wool,  coarse  linen,  and  other  articles,  apparently  deposited 
there  for  oooaaional  oae.  I  soon  croaaed  ua  floor,  and  found  tba 
bare  earth  again  under  my  feet. 

A  little  further  on,  I  found  the  cellar  again  oontraoted  in  a 
by  a  row  of  closets,  or  smaller  compurtmenta,  projecting  on  .uMh 
afdo.  Theae  were  doaed  by  doora  of  %  different  deacripiion  from 
the  flrat,  having  a  simple  fastening,  and  no  opening  through  them. 

Jnat  beyond,  on  the  left  aide,  I  passed  astairoaae  IcMingnp, 
and  thw  three  doors,  much  resembling  those  first  desoribedtStena* 
ing  <moaita  three  more,  on  the  other  aide  of  the  cellar.  Having 
paaaed  theae,  I  found  the  cellar  enlarged  aa  bef&re.  and  bare  the 
earth  amaared  as  if  mixed  with  some  whitiab  aubstanoa^  which 
nttwetedmy  attenUcm. 

AaIpcoeeeded,Ifoandtbewbitene88inereaae,  until  tba  anr* 
faoo  lookpd  almoat  like  anow,  and  in  n  diort  timerobearred  bo- 
tME*  BN^H  kola  dog  w  deep  into  tba  earth  thatleoald  paioaif« 


36 


kwM  Disdlosnres  of  llaiia  KonL 


BoboHom.  I  stopped  to  obMire  it— it  was  dronlar,  twelve  or 
perhaps  fifteen  feet  across,  in  the  middle  of  the  cellar,  and  nnpro- 
ieoted  by  any  kind  of  curb,  so  that  one  might  Msily  have  walirad 
into  it  iu  the  dark. 

The  white  sabstance  which  I  have  observed,  was  spread  all 
over  the  sarf ace  around  it ;  and  lay  in  the  quantities  on  all  sides, 
that  it  seemed  as  if  a  great  deal  of  it  must  have  been  thrown  in* 
to  the  hole.  It  immediately  occurred  to  me  that  the  white  sub- 
stance was  lime^  and  that  was  the  place  where  the  infants  were 
buried,  after  bem^  murdered,  as  the  Superior  had  informed  me. 
I  knew  that  lime  is  of  tea  used  by  Boman  Oatholios  in  bnrving 
places ;  and  in  that  way  I  aecountdd  for  its  being  scattered  about 
the  spot  in  such  quantities. 

This  was  a  shookiog  thought  to  me ;  but  I  can  hardly  tell  how 
it  a£fected  me,  as  I  had  alrrady  been  prepared  to  expect  dreadful 
things  in  the  Convent,  and  had  undergone  trials  whioh  prevent- 
ed me  from  feeling  as  I  should  formerly  have  done  in  similar  ob> 
oumstanoes. 

I  passed  the  spot,  therefore,  with  dreadful  thoughts,  it  is  true, 
about  the  little  corpses  which  might  be  in  that  secret  burying 

Elace,  but  with  recollections  also  of  the  declarations  which  I  had 
eud,  about  the  favour  done  their  souls  in  seading  them  direct 
to  heaven,  and  the  necessary  virtue  accompanying  ul  the  actions 
of  the  priests. 

Whether  I  taoticed  them  or  not  at  the  time,  there  is  a  window 
or  two  on  each  side  nearly  against  the  hole,  in  at  which  are  some- 
times thrown  articles  brought  to  them  from  without,  for  the  use 
of  the  Oonvent.  Through  the  wiudow  on  my  right,  which  opens 
iato  the  yard,  towards  the  cross  street,  lime  is  received  from 
carts ;  I  then  saw  a  large  heap  of  it  near  the  place. 

Passing  thehole,  I  came  to  a  spot  where  was  another  projec- 
tion on  each  side,  with  three  cells  like  those  I  first  described. 
Beyond  them,  in  another  broad  part  of  the  cellar,  were  heaps  of 
vegetables,  and  other  things,  on  the  right ;  and  on  the  left,  I 
found  the  charcoal  I  was  in  search  of.  This  was  placed  in  a  h<Mp 
a^^ainst  the  wall,  as  I  might  then  have  observed,  near  a  smaU 
high  window,  like  the  rest,  at  which  it  is  thrown  in.  Beyond 
this  spot,  at  a  distance,  the  cellar  terminated. 

The  top,  quite  to  that  point,  is  arched  overhead,  though  at  dif- 
ferent heights,  for  the  earth  on  the  bottom  is  uneven,  and  in  some 
places  several  feet  higher  than  in  others. 

Not  liking  to  be  alone  in  so  spacious  and  gloomy  a  part  of  the 
Oonvent,  especially  after  the  discovery  I  had  made,  I  hastened  to 
fill  my  basket  with  coal,  and  to  return. 

Here  then  I  was  in  a  place  whioh  I  had  considered  as  the  near- 
est imitation  of  heaven  to  be  found  on  earth,  amongst  a  society 
where  deeds  were  constantly  perpetrated,  which  IhadbeUeved 
to  be  most  criminal,  and  had  now  found  the  place  in  which  harm- 
less infants  were  unfeelingly  thrown  out  of  eighty  after  being 
murdered. 

And  yet,  such  is  the  power  of  instruction  and  example,  al- 
though not  satisfied,  as  many  around  me  seemed  to  be,  that  this 
was  Ml  righteous  and  proper,  1  sometimes  was  half  inclined  to 
believe  it,  for  the  priests  could  do  no  sin,  and  this  was  done  by 
priests. 

Among  th#  first  instmctions  I  received  from  the  Soperior,  were 
•uflh  M  prepared  me  to  admit  priests  into  the  nunnery,  from  the 


:w._.„,^- 


iwM  Sifldosnrei  of  laila  MbnL 


87 


street,  at  irregular  hoars.    It  is  no  secret  f'hat  priests  enter  and 

foout;  butu  they  were  to  be  watohed  by  any  person  in  St. 
*anl's  street  all  day  long,  no  irregolaritv  might  be  sospeoted; 
and  they  mi|;ht  be  supposed  to  Tisit  the  Oonvent  for  the  perform- 
anoe  of  religious  ceremonies  merely. 

But  if  a  person  were  near  the  gate  about  midnight,  he  might 
sometimes  form  a  different  opiuion ;  for  when  a  stray  priest  is 
shut  out  of  the  Semiuary,  or  is  otherwise  put  in  the  need  of  seek- 
ing a  lod|{in£b  he  is  always  sure  of  being  admitted  into  the  Black 
Kunnery.  x^'obody  but  a  priest  can  ever  ring  the  bell  at  the 
nok-room  door ;  much  less  can  any  but  a  priest  gain  admittance. 
The  pull  of  the  bell  is  entirely  concealed  somewhere  on  the  out- 
side of  the  gate,  I  have  been  told. 

He  makes  himself  known  as  a  priest  by  a  peculiar  kind  of  hiss- 
ing sound,  made  by  the  tongue  against  the  teeth  while  they  are 
kept  closed  and  the  lips  open.  The  nun  within,  who  delays  to 
open  the  door  until  informed  what  kind  of  an  applicant  is  there, 
immediately  recognizes  the  signal,  and  replies  with  two  inarti- 
culate sounds,  such  as  are  often  used  instead  of  yes,  with  the 
mouth  dosed. 

The  Superior  seemed  to  consider  this  part  of  my  instructions 
quite  important,  and  taught  me  the  signals.  I  had  often  occasion 
to  use  them ;  I  have  been  repeatedly  called  to  the  door,  in  the 
night,  while  watching  in  the  sick-room ;  and  on  reaching  it,  heard 
the  short  hissing  sound  I  have  mentioned ;  then,  according  to 
my  standing  orders,  unfastened  the  door,  admitted  a  priest,  who 
was  at  liberty  to*go  where  he  pleased.  I  will  name  M.  Bierze, 
from  St.  Dems. 

The  books  used  in  the  nunnery,  at  least  such  as  I  recollect  of 
them,  were  the  following.  Most  of  these  are  lecture  books,  or 
such  as  are  used  by  the  daily  readers,  while  we  were  at  work  and 
meals.  These  were  all  furnished  by  the  Superior,^  out  of  her  li- 
brary, to  which  we  never  had  access.  She  was  informed  when 
we  had  done  with  the  book,  and  then  exchanged  it  for  another, 
as  she  pleased  to  select. 

La  Miroir  du  Chretien  (Christian  Mirror,)  History  of  BomcL 
History  of  the  Ohurch,  Life  of  Soeur  Bourgeoise,  (the  founder  of 
the  Oonvent,)  in  two  volumes,  L'Ange  Oonducteur,  (the  Guar- 
dian Aneel.^  L'Ange  Chretien,  (the  Christian  Angel,)  Les  Vies 
des  Saints,  (Lives  of  the  Saints,)  in  several  volumes,  Dialogues, 
a  volume  consisting  of  conversations  between  a  Protestant  Doc« 
tor,  called  Dr.  D.,  and  a  CathoUc  gentleman,  on  the  articles  of 
faith,  in  which,  after  much  ingenious  reasoning,  the  former  was 
confuted ;  one  large  book,  the  name  of  which  I  have  forgotten, 
occupied  us  nine  or  ten  months  at  our  lectures,  night  mid  morn- 
ing, L'Instruction  de  la  Jeunesse,  (the  Instruction  of  Youth,) 
containing  much  about  Convents,  and  the  education  of  persons  in 
the  world,  with  a  great  deal  on  confessions,  &c.  Examen  de  la  Con- 
science (Examination  of  Conscience,)  is  a  book  frequently  need. 

I  may  here  remark,  that  I  never  saw  a  Bible  in  the  Convent 
from  the  Aky  I  entered  as  a  novice,  until  that  on  which  I  effected 
my  escape.'  The  Catholic  Kew  Testament,  commonly  diUed  the 
Evan|||ile,  was  read  to  us  about  three  or  four  times  a  year.  The 
Sunenor  directed  the  reader  what  passage  to  select:  but  we  never 
had  it  in  our  hands  to  read  when  we  pleased.  I  often  heirdthe 
FMyteitant  Bible  spoken  of,  in  bitter  terms.  M  a  most  dahgerona 
b0ok,  alad  one  whleh  never  ought  to  IDS  in  the  hahds  of  oommoa 
.people. 


8S 


XwM  BisoiloBiirQB  Df  KBiia  UooL' 


OHAFTEB  X. 

MuraAMtaN  of  bntd  «id  wax  eandlea,  carried  on  In  fh«  OonTcnt— Sopo^ 

■tition»-Boapularie»— Yirfdn  Mary'a  Finonshion— Har  Hoiue--Th6 

Bishop'a  power  OTer  fire— My  inatractiona  to  KoTicea— Jana  Bay-rYa- 

cillation  of  feaUnga. 

'  Labob  qnantitiea  of  biead  are  made  in  the  Black  Nnnnezy  ereiy 

week ;  for,  beridea  what  ia  neceaaary  to  feed  the  nuns,  many  of 

the  poor  are  aupplied.     When  a  prieat  wiahea  to  give  a  load  of 

.  bread  to  a  poor  peraon,  he  givea  him  an  order,  which  ia  presented 

{ at  the  OonTcut.     The  making  of  bread  ia,  therefore,  one  of  the 

'  moat  laboriona  employmenta  in  the  inatitntion. 

The  manufacture  of  wax  eandlea  was  another  important  branch 
of  buaineaa  in  the  nunnery.  It  waa  carried  on  in  a  small  room, 
i  on  the  flrat  floor,  thence  called  the  ciergerie,  or  wax  room,  cierge 
being  the  French  word  for  wax.  I  waa  sometimes  sent  to  read 
the^aily  lecture  and  catechism  to  the  nuns  employed  there,  but 
found  it  a  very  unpleaaant  task,  as  the  smell  rising  from  the 
melted  wax  gave  me  a  sickness  at  the  stomach.  The  employment 
was  considered  as  rather  unheaithy,  and  those  were  assigned  to 
it  who  had  the  strongest  constitutions.  The  nuns  who  were  more 
lemployed  in  that  room  were  Saint  Maria,  Saint  Catherine,  Saint 
Charlotte,  Saint  Hyacinthe,  Saint  Hypolite,and  others.  But  with 
jthese,  as  with  other  persons  in  the  Convent,  I  was  never  allowed 
|to  speak,  except  under  circumstances  before  mentioned.  I  waa 
sent  to  read,  mid  was  not  allowed  even  to  answer  the  most  tri- 
ivial  question,  if  one  were  asked  me.  Should  anun  say,  "  What 
o'clock  is  it  r*  I  never  should  have  dared  to  reply,  but  was  re- 
quired to  Ycport  her  to  the  Superior. 

Much  stress  was  laid  on  the  sainte  scaptilaire,  or  holy  soapn- 
lary*  This  ia  a  amall  band  of  cloth  or  silk,  formed  and  wrought 
in  a  particular  manner,  to  be  tied  around  the  neck,  by  two  strings, 
fastened  to  the  ends.  I  have  made  many  of  them ;  having  b^n 
sometimes  set  to  make  them  in  the  Convent.  On  one  side  is 
worked  a  kind  ot  double  cross,  (thus,  X  X,)  and  on  the  other, 
i.  H.  S.,  the  meaning  of  which  I  do  not  exactly  know.  Such  a 
band  is  called  a  scapulary,  and  many  miracles  are  attributed  to 
its  power.  Children  on  first  receiving  the  communion  are  often 
presented  with  scapularies,  which  they  are  taught  to  regard  with 
great  reverence.  We  were  told  of  the  wonders  effected  by  their 
means,  in  the  addresses  that  were  made  to  us,  by  priests^  at  cate- 
chism or  lectures.  I  will  repeat  one  or  two  of  the  stones  which 
occur  to  me. 

A  Boman  Catholic  servant  woman,  who  had  concealed  some  of 
her  sins  at  confession,  acted  so  hypocritical  a  part  as  to  make  her 
mistress belie/e  he*  a  devotee^  or  strict  observer  of  her  duty.  She 
even  imposed  upon  her  confessor  to  such  a  degree  that  ne  gave 
her  a  scapulary.  After  he  had  given  it,  however,  one  of  thesunts 
in  heaven  informed  him  in  a  vision,  that  the  holy  scapulary  must 
not  remain  on  the  neck  of  so  great  a  sinner,  and  that  it  most  be 
restored  to  the  church.  She  lay  down  that  night  witlhthe  aoapn- 
lary  round  her  throat ;  but  in  the  morning  was  found  dead,  vnth 
heir  head  cut  off.  and  |be  scapulary  was  discovered  in  the  ohureh. 
The  belief  was,  that  the  devu  could  not  endure  to  have  so  holy  a 
thing  on  one  of  his  servants,  and  had  pulled  so  hard  to  g^t  it  oil^ 
as  to  draw  the  sUken  thread,  with  which  it  was  tied,  through  her 
neck :  after  wbioh,  by  aome  divine  power,  it  waf  nttored  to  Hm 
ohurcn. 


(t 


IwM  BlsdosQies  of  Uaiia  Konk. 


89 


Anotber  story  was  m  f ollowi.  A  poor  Bomaa  Oatholio  waa 
onoe  taken  prisoner  by  the  heretics.  He  had  a  sainte  teapulain 
on  his  neck,  when  God,  seeing  him  in  the  midst  of  his  foes,  took 
it  from  the  neck  by  a  miracle,  and  held  it  up  in  tiie  air  abore  the 
throng  of  heretics;  more  than  one  hundred  of  whom  were  con- 
verted, by  seeing  it  thus  supematurally  suspended. 

I  had  been  informed  by  the  Superior,  on  my  first  admission  as 
a  nun,  that  there  was  a  subterraneous  passage,  leading  from  the 
cellar  of  our  Oonvent,  into  that  of  the  Congregational  il'unner^ : 
but,  though  I  had  so  often  yisited  the  cellar,  I  nad  neyer  seen  it. 
One  day,  after  I  had  been  received  three  or  four  months,  I  was 
sent  to  walk  through  it  on  my  knees,  with  another  nun,  as  a  pen- 
ance. This,  and  other  penances,  were  sometimes  put  upon  us  by 
the  priests,  without  any  reason  assigned.  The  common  way,  in- 
deed, was  to  tell  us  of  the  sin  for  which  a  penance  was  imposed, 
but  we  were  left  many  times  to  conjecture.  Now  and  then  the 
priest  would  inform  us  at  a  subsequent  confession,  when  he  hap- 
pened to  recollect  spmething  about  it,  as  I  thought,  and  not  be- 
cause he  reflected  or  cared  much  upon  the  subject. 

The  nun  who  was  with  me  led  through  the  cellar,  passing  to 
the  right  of  the  secret  burial-place,  and  showed  me  the  door  of 
the  subterraneous  passage,  which  was  at  the  extremity  towards 
the  Oongregational  Nunnery.  The  reasons  why  I  had  not  notic- 
ed it  before,  I  presume,  were,  that  it  was  made  to  shut  dose  and 
even  with  the  wall :  and  all  that  part  of  the  cellar  was  white- 
washed. The  door,  which  is  of  wood,  and  square,  opens  with  a 
latch  into  a  passage  about  four  feet  and  a  half  high.  We  imme- 
diately got  upon  our  knees,  commenced  saying  the  prayers  re- 
quired, and  began  to  move  slowly  along  the  dark  and  narrow 
passage.  It  may  be  fifty  or  sixty  xeet  in  length.  When  we  reach- 
ed the  end,  we  opened  a  door,  and  found  ourselves  in  the  cellar 
of  the  Oongregational  Nunnery,  at  some  distance  from  the  outer 
wall ;  for  the  covered  way  is  carried  on  towards  the  middle  of  the 
cellar  by  t^o  low  partitions  covered  at  the  top.  By  the  side  of 
the  door  was  placed  a  list  of  names  of  the  Black  Nuns,  with  a 
slide  that  might  be  drawn  over  any  of  them.  We  covered  our 
names  in  this  manner,  as  evidence  of  having  performed  the  duty 
assigned  us ;  and  then  returned  downwards  on  our  knees,  by  the 
way  we  had  come.  This  penance  I  repeatedly  performed  after- 
wards ;  and  by  this  way,  as  I  have  occasion  elsewhere  to  mention, 
nuns  from  the  Oongregational  Nunnery  sometimes  entered  our 
Convent  for  worse  purposes. 

We  were  frequently  assured  that  miracles  are  still  performed ; 
and  pains  were  taken  to  impress  us  deeply  on  this  subject.  The 
Superior  often  spoke  to  us  of  the  Virgin  Mary's  pincushion,  the 
remains  of  which  are  pretended  to  be  preserved  in  the  Oonvent, 
though  it  has  crumbled  quite  to  dust.  We  regarded  this  relic 
with  such  veneration,  that  we  were  afraid  even  to  look  at  it  and 
we  often  heard  the  following  story  related,  when  theaubject  was 
introduced. 

A  priest  in  Jerusalem  once  had  a  vision,  in  which  he  was  in- 
formed that  the  house  in  which  the  Tirgin  had  lived,  should  be 
removed  from  its  foundations,  and  transported  to  a  distance.  He 
did  not  think  the  communication  waa  nom  Qod,  and  therefore 
disregarded  it ;  but  the  house  was  soon  after  missed,  which  oon- 
vinoed  him  that  the  vision  waa  true,  and  he  told  where  the  house 
|Di(^t  be  foood.    A  picture  of  the  hooie  ii  preaerved  in  the  Nan- 


m 


IwM  DlsdosnreB  of  Haiia  Honk. 


• 


l&ery,  and  was  fometimei  shoim  ui.  There  was  also  wax  flgatres 
of  Joseph  sawing  wood,  and  Jesus,  as  a  child,  picking  up  the 
chips.  We  were  taught  to  sing  a  little  song  relating  to  this,  the 
ohoras  of  which  I  remomber : 

"  Saint  Joseph  Osrpentier, 
Petit  Jesus  ramassait  lescopeanz 
Pour  faire  bouillir  la  marmite  I" 
(St.  Joseph  was  a  carpenter,  little  Jesus  collected  chips  to  make 
the  pot  boil.) 

I  began  to  speak  of  miracles,  and  I  recollect  a  story  of  onCf 
about  a  family  m  Italy  saved  from  shipwreck  by  a  priest,  who 
were  in  consequence  converted,  and  had  two  sons  honoured  with 
the  priest's  office. 

I  had  heard,  before  I  entered  the  Convent,  about  a  great  fire 
which  had  destroyed  a  number  of  houses  in  the  Quebec  suburbs^ 
and  which  some  said  the  Bishop  extinguished  with  holy  water* 
I  once  heard  a  Oatholic  and  a  Frotestuit  disputing  on  this  sub- 
ject, and  when  I  went  to  the  Congregational  Nunnery,  I  some* 
times  heard  the  children,  alluding  to  the  same  story,  say,  at  an 
alarm  of  fire, "  Is  it  a  Catholic  fire  P  Then,  why  does  not  the  Bis- 
hop run  P" 

Among  the  topics  on  which  the  Bishop  ad;ilre88ed  the  nuns  in 
the  Convent,  this  was  one.  He  told  us  the  story  one  day,  that  he 
could  have  sooner  interfered  and  stopped  the  flames,  but  that  at 


that  he  never  did  it  except  when  inspired. 

The  holy  water  whioh  the  Bishop  has  consecrated,  was  oonsi« 
dered  much  more  efflaoious  than  any  blessed  by  a  common  priest ; 
and  this  it  was  which  was  used  in  the  Convent  in  sprinkling  our 
beds.    It  has  a  virtue  in  it,  to  keep  off  anv  evil  spirit. 

Now  that  I  was  a  nun,  I  was  occasionally  sent  to  read  lectures 
to  the  novices,  as  other  nuns  had  been  while  I  was  a  novice. 
There  were  but  few  of  us  who  were  thought  capable  of  .reading 
English  well  enough,  and,  therefoire,  I  was  more  fre<]^ueutly  sent 
than  I  might  otherwise  have  been.  The  Superior  otten  said  to 
me.  as  I  was  going  among  the  novices : 

"Try  to  convert  them— save  their  souls— you  know  yon  will 
have  a  higher  place  in  heaven  for  every  one  you  convert." 

For  whatever  reason,  Mad  Jane  Bay  seemed  to  take  great  de« 
light  in  crossing  and  provoking  the  Superior  and  old  nuns ;  and 
often  she  would  cause  an  intermptiou  when  it  was  most  incon- 
venient and  displeasing  to  them.  The  preservation  of  silence 
was  insisted  upon  most  rigidly,  and  penances  of  suoh  a  nature 
were  imposed  for  breaking  it,  that  it  was  a  constant  source  of 
uneasiness  with  me,  to  know  that  I  might  infringe  the  rules  in  so 
many  ways^  and  that  inattention  might  at  any  moment  subject 
me  to  something  verv  unpl^ant.  During  the  periods  of  medi- 
tation, therefore,  and  those  of  lecture,  work,  and  repose,  I  kept  a 
strict  guard  upon  myself,  to  escape  penances,  as  well  as  to  avoid 
sin ;  and  the  silence  of  the  others  convinced  me  that  they  were 
equally  watchful,  and  from  th  j  same  motives. 

My  feelings,  ho^  ever,  varied  at  different  times,  and  so  did  those 
of  many,  if  not  of  all  my  companions,  excepting  the  older  ones^ 
who  toox  their  turns  in  watohing  us.  We  sometimes  felt  dispos- 
ed lor  gaiety,  and  thxaw  off  all  idea  that  talking  was  sinlo],  «vm 


I.   . 


iwM  IHsolosnres  of  Maria  Monk. 


41 


when  required  by  the  rales  of  the  Oonvent.  I  eren,  wlitn  X  felt 
that  I  might  perbape  be  doing  wrong,  reflected  that  oonfeeiion, 
and  certauily  penanoe,  wonld  soon  wipe  off  the  guilt. 

I  may  remark  here,  that  I  ere  lonv  found  out  eeveral  things  im« 
portant  to  be  known  to  a  person  liviag  under  such  rules.  One 
of  th<ise  was,  that  it  was  much  better  to  confess  to  a  priest  a  sin 
eommitted  against  the  rules,  because  he  would  not  require  one  of 
the  penances  I  most  disliked,  viz.,  those  which  exposed  me  to  the 
observation  of  the  nuns,  or  which  demanded  self  •debaser.ent  be- 
fore them,  liko  begging  their  pardon,  kissing  the  floor,  or  the 
Superior's  feet,  ftc,  and,  besides,  he  as  a  coufessor  was  l«ound  to 
sc^rhoy,  and  could  not  inform  the  Superior  against  me.  My  con- 
scidnoe  being  as  effectually  unburdened  by  my  confession  to  the 
priest,  as  I  bad  been  taught  to  believe,  I  therefore  preferred  not 
to  tell  my  sins  to  any  one  else :  and  this  course  I  found  was  pre- 
f erred  by  others  for  the  same  good  reasons. 

To  Jane  Hay,  however,  it  sometimes  appeared  to  be  a  matter  of 
perfect  indifference,  who  knew  her  violations  of  role,  to  what  pen- 
ance she  exposed  herself. 

Often  ana  often,  while  perfect  tdlence  prevailed  among  the  nuns, 
at  meditatioD,  or  while  nothing  was  to  be  heard  except  the  voice 
of  the  reader  appointed  for  the  day,  no  matter  whose  life  or  writ- 
ings were  presented  for  our  contemplation,  Jane  would  break 
forth  with  sotte  remark  or  question,  that  would  attract  general  at- 
tention, and  often  cause  a  long  and  total  interruption.  Sometimos 
she  would  make  some  harmless  remark  or  inquiry  aloud,  as  if 
through  mere  inadvertency,  and  then  her  loijd  and  well  known 
voice,  so  strongly  associated  with  every  thing  singular  and  ridi  • 
culous,  would  arrest  the  attention  of  us  all,  and  generally  incline 
us  to  laugh.  The  Superior  would  then  usually  utter  some  hasty 
remonstrance,  and  many  a  time  I  have  heard  her  pronounce  some 
penance  upon  her;  but  Jane  had  some  apology  ready,  or  some  re- 
ply calculated  to  irritate  still  further,  or  to  prove  to  every  one 
that  no  punishment  would  be  effectual  on  her.  Sometimes  this 
singular  woman  would  appear  to  be  actuated  bv  opposite  feelings 
ana  motives;  for  althougn  she  usually  delighted  in  drawing  others 
into  difBiculty,  and  has  thrown  many  a  severe  penance  even  upon 
her  greatest  favourites,  on  other  occasions  she  appeared  totaHy  re- 
gardless of  consequences  herself,  and  preferred  to  take  all  the 
blame,  anxious  only  toshield  others. 

I  have  repeatedly  known  her  to  break  silence  in  the  community, 
as  if  she  haa  no  object,  or  none  beyond  that  of  causing  disturo- 
ance,  or  exciting  a  smile,  and  as  soon  aS  it  wa(|  noticed,  exclaim, 
**  Say  it's  me,  say  it's  me  1" 

Sometimes  she  would  oven  expose  herself  to  punishment  in 

1)lace  of  another  who  was  guilty ;  and  thus  I  found  it  difficult  f ul- 
y  to  understand  her.  In  sorut*  cases  she  seemed  decidedly  out  of 
her  wits,  as  the  Superior  and  priests  commonly  preferred  to  re- 
present her ;  but  generally  I  saw  in  her  what  prevented  me  from 
accounting  her  insane. 

Among  ner  common  tricks  were  such  as  these ;  she  garerme  the 
name  of  the  *'  Devout  English  Beader,"  because  I  was  often  ap- 
pointed to  read  the  lecture  to  the  English  girls ;  and  sometimes, 
after  taking  a  seat  near  me,  under  pretence  of  deafness,  would 
whiner  it  m  my  hearing,  because  she  knew  my  want  of  self-com- 
mand when  coctuted  to  laughtnr.  Thus  she  often  exposed  me  to 
peuBMi  for  ft  teeaoh  of  Moonun,  and  let  me  to  biting  my  lipe, 


42 


Iwflil  BifloloBores  of  Maria  Xbnk. 


to  avdd  UnffUoff  ontright  in  the  midit  of  a  lolemn  leotnxe.  **  Oh  I 
yoQ  deTout  Ensliiih  reMerl"  wonid  ■ometimM  oome  upon  me 
suddenly  from  her  lipe,  with  something  in  it  so  ladioronSi  that  I 
bad  to  exert  myself  to  the  utmost  to  avoid  obserration. 

This  oame  so  often  at  one  time,  that  I  grew  uneasy^  and  told 
her  I  must  oonf  ess  it,  to  unburden  my  oonsoienoe.  I  had  not 
done  so  before,  because  she  would  complain  of  it  ,  for  giving  wi^ 
to  temptation. 

Sometimes  she  would  pass  behind  us  as  we  stood  at  dinner 
ready  to  sit  down,  and  softly  moving  back  our  chairs,  leave  us  to 
fall  down  upon  the  floor.  This  she  has  repeatedly  done ;  and 
while  we  were  laughing  together,  she  would  spring  forward, 
kneel  to  the  Supe-^^or,  and  beg  her  pardoo  and  a  penance. 

OHAFTEBXI. 

Alaimtng  order  from  the  Superior— Prooeed  to  ezecutA  it— Scene  i^  an  up- 
per room— Sentence  of  death,  and  murder— My  ovn  distreaa— xteporis 
made  to  friends  of  St.  Frances. 

But  I  must  now  come  to  one  deed  in  which  I  had  some  part,  and 
which  I  looh  back  upon  with  greater  horror  and  pain  than  anv 
occurrences  in  the  Oonvent,  in  which  I  was  not  the  principal  suf- 
ferer. It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  attempt  to  excuse  myself  in 
this  or  any  other  case.  Those  who  have  any  disposition  to  judge 
fairly,  will  exercise  their  own  judgment  in  making  allowances  for 
me,  under  the  fear  and  force,  the  command  and  examples,  before 
mo.  I,  therefore,  shall  confine  myself,  as  usual,  to  the  simple 
narration  of  facts.  The  time  was  about  five  months  after  I  took 
the  veil,  the  weather  was  cool,  perhaps  in  September  or  October. 
One  day,  the  Superior  sent  for  me  and  several  other  nuns,  to  re- 
ceive her  commands  at  a  particular  room.  We  found  the  Bishop 
and  some  priests  with  her ;  and  speaking  in  an  unusual  tone  of 
fierceness  and  authority,  she  said,  "  Go  to  the  room  for  the  Ex- 
amination of  Ck)nscience,  and  ixaig  St.  Frances  up  stairs."  No- 
thing more  was  necessary  than  this  unusual  command,  with  the 
tone  and  manner  which  accompanied  it,  to  excite  in  me  the  most 
gloomy  anticipations.  It  did  not  strike  me  as  strange  that  St. 
Frances  should  be  in  the  room  to  which  the  Superior  directed  us. 
It  was  an  apartment  to  which  we  were  often  sent  to  prepare  for 
the  communion,  and  to  which  we  voluntarily  went,  whenever  we 
felt  the  compunctions  which  our  ignorance  of  duty,  and  the  mis- 
instructions  we  received,  inclined  us  to  seek  relief  from  self-re- 
proach. Indeed  I  had  seen  her  there  a  little  before.  What  tor- 
xified  me  was,  first;  the  Superior's  angry  manner  ;  second,  the  ex- 
nrei  don  she  used,  being  a  French  term,  whose  peculiar  use  I  had 
leamt  in  the  Oonvent,  and  whose  meanmg  is  rather  softened  when 
translated  into  dragj  third,  the  place  to  which  we  were  directed 
to  take  the  interesting  young  nun,  and  the  persons  assembled 
there,  as  I  supposed,  to  condemn  her.  My  fears  were  such,  con- 
cerning the  fate  that  awaited  her,  and  my  horror  at  the  idea  that 
■he  was  in  seme  way  to  be  sacrificed,  that  I  would  have  given 
anything  to  be  allowed  to  stay  where  I  was.  But  I  feared  the 
coniequenoes  of  disobeying  the  Superior,  and  proceeded  with  the 
rest  towards  the  room  for  the  examination  of  conscience. 

The  room  to  which  we  were  to  prooeed  from  that,  was  in  iM 
sev  jnd  story,  and  the  place  of  many  a  scene  of  a  shameful  na- 
ture  It  ii  inffieient  to  say,  alter  what  I  have  said  in  other  parte 


V 


y 


IwM  Biidositiei  of  Maria 


43 


and 


of  tUi  book,  that  things  had  theraooeoired  whidhriudoaMM- 
gard  tho  plaoe  with  the  greatest  disgust.  Saint  R  ^noes  had  ap- 
pealed melanoholy  for  some  time.  I  well  knew  thai  she  had 
canse,  for  she  had  oeen  repeatedly  sahjeot  to  trials  which  I. need 
not  name— our  common  lot.  When  we  reached  the  room  "where 
we  had  been  bidden  to  seek  her,  I  entered  the  door,  mv  oompa- 
nions  standing  behind  me,  as  the  plaoe  was  so  small  as  hardly  to 
hold  fire  persons  at  a  time.  The  young  nun  was  standing  alone, 
near  the  middle  of  the  room ;  she  was  probably  about  twentr, 
with  light  hair,  blue  eyes,  and  a  very  fair  complexion.  I  spoke  to 
her  in  a  compassionate  yoice,  but  at  the  same  time  with  such  a 
decided  mtiuner,  that  she  comprehended  my  meanipg. 

"  Saint  Frances,  we  are  sent  for  you." 

Several  others  spoke  kindly  to  her,  b^l  two  addressed  her  very 
harshly.  The  poor  creature  torued  round  with  a  look  of  meek- 
ness, and  without  expresidng  any  unwillinfmess  or  fiar,  without 
even  speaking  a  word,  resigned  herself  to  our  hands.  The 
tears  came  into  my  eyes.  I  had  not  a  moment's  doubt  that  she 
considered  her  fate  as  sealed,  and  was  already  beyond  the  fr<ur  of 
death.  She  was  conducted  or  rather  hnmed  to  the  staircase, 
which  was  near  by,  and  then  seized  by  her  limbs  and  dothes,  and 
in  fact  almost  dragged  up  stair^  in  the  sense  the  Superior  had 
intended.  I  laid  my  own  hands  upon  her— *I  took  holdiaf  her, 
too.  more  gently  indeed  than  some  of  the  rest ;  yet  I  encouraged 
and  assisted  them  in  carr^ '  jg  her.  I  could  not  avoid  it.  My  re- 
fusal would  not  have  saved  hei,  nor  prevented  her  from  being 
carried  up ;  it  would  only  have  exposed  me  to  some  severe  pun- 
ishment, as  I  believe  some  of  my  companions  would  have  seized 
the  first  opportunity  to  complain  of  me. 

All  the  way  up  the  staircase.  Saint  Frances  spoke  not  a  word, 
nor  made  the  slightest  resistance.  When  we  entered,^  with  hw, 
the  room  to  which  she  was  ordered,  my  heart  sank  witUn  nre. 
The  Bishop,  the  Lady  Superior,  and  five  priests,  vis.:  Bonin, 
Bichards,  Savage,  and  two  others,  I  now  ascertained,  were  assem- 
bled for  triaL  on  some  charge  of  great  importance. 

When  we  had  brought  our  prisoner  before  them,  Father  Bich- 
ards beran  to  question  her,  and  she  made  ready,  but  calm,  re- 
plies. I  cannot  pretaad  to  give  a  connected  account  of  what  en- 
sued ;  my  feelings  were  wrought  up  to  such  a  pitch,  that  I  knew 
not  what  I  did,  or^hat  to  do.  I  was  under  a  terrible  Apprehen- 
sion that,  if  I  betrayed  the  feelings  which  overcame  me,  I  should 
fall  under  the  displeasure  of  the  cold-blooded  persecutors  of  my 
poor  innocent  sister ;  and  this  fear  on  the  one  hand,  with  tiie  dia- 
trtiss  I  felt  for  her  on  the  other,  rendered  me  almost  franco.  As 
soon  as  I  entered  thn  room,  I  had  stepped  into  a  comer,  on  the 
left  of  the  entrance,  trhere  I  might  partially  support  myself ^1^ 
leaning  against  che  wall  between  the  door  and  the  window.  This 
support  was  all  that  prevented  me  falling  to  the  floOr,  for  the 
oooiusion  of  my  thoughts  was  so  great,  that  only  fk  few  of  the 
words  I  heard  spoken  on  either  side  made  an^  lasting  imprMsion 
upon  me.  I  fell  as  if  struck  with  some  insup^  oirtable  blow :  and 
death  would  not  have  beei^  more  frightful  to  me.  I  am  inclined 
to  the  belief  that  Father  Bichards  wished  to  shield  the  poor  pri- 
soner from  the  severity  of  her  fate,  by  drawing  from  her  expres- 
sions that  migl^  bear  a  favourable  oonstmotion.  He  askecl  her, 
anong  other  tUbBgik  if  she  was  now  sorry  fw  what  she  had  bet  a 
overheard  lo  »ft(jt9f  ibt  had  been  betrayer  by  one  of  ili&  namO 


44 


JLwM  Blflolosiiies  of  Karia  Monk. 


and  if  til*  would  not  prefer  oonflnement  intheoeDeto  the  pnnish- 
ment  whioh  was  threatened.  Bat  the  Bishop  soon  interrupted 
him,  and  it  was  easy  to  perceiTe,  that  he  considered  her  fate  as 
sealed,  and  was  determined  she  should  not  escape.  In  reply  '^o 
some  of  the  questions  pat  to  her,  she  was  silent ;  to  others  i  heard 
her  Toice  replr  that  she  did  not  repent  of  words  she  had  uttered, 
thoQgh  they  bad  been  reported  by  some  of  the  nans  who  had 
heard  tfakm ;  that  she  had  JBrmly  resolved  to  resist  every  attempt 
to  compel  her  to  the  commission  of  crimes  which  she  detested. 
She  added  that  she  would  rather  die  than  cause  the  murd«r  of 
harmless  babes. 

"  That  is  enough,  finish  her  1"  said  the  Bishop. 

Two  nuns  instaotlv  fell  upon  the  woman,  and  in  obediente  to 
directions,  given  b^  the  fikiperior,  prepared  to  execute  her  sentence. 

She  still  maintamed  all  the  calmness  and  submission  of  a  lamb. 
Some  of  those  who  took  part  in  this  transaction,  I  believe,  were 
as  unwilling  as  mjrself ;  bat  of  others  I  can  safely  say,  I  believe 
they  delighted  in  it.  Their  conduct  certainly  exhibited  a  most 
blood-thirsty  spirit.  But  above  all  otherspresent,  and  above  all 
human  fiends  I  ever  saw,  I  think  Saint  Hypolite  wm  the  most 
diabolical ;  she  engaged  iit  the  horrid  task  with  all  alacrity,  and 
assumed  from  choice  the  most  revolting  parts  to  be  perfonned. 
She  seized  a  gag,  forced  it  into  the  mouth  of  the  poor  nun,  and 
when  it  was  fixeq  between  her  extended  jaws,  so  as  to  keep  tbsm 
open  at  their  greatest  possible  distance,  took  hold  of  the  straps 
fastened  at  each  end  of  the  stick,  crossed  them  behind  the  help* 
less  head  of  the  victim,  and  drew  them  tight  through  the  loop 
prepared  as  a  fastening. 

llie  bed,  which  had  always  stood  in  one  part  of  the  room,  still 
remained  tiiere ;  though  the  screen,  which  had  usually  been  placed 
before  it,  and  was  made  of  thick  muslin,  with  only  a  crevice 
through  which  a  person  might  look  out,  had  been  folded  up  on 
its  hingues  in  the  form  of  a  W.,  and  placed  in  a  comer.  On  the 
bed  the  prisoner  was  laid  with  her  face  upwards,  and  then  bound 
with  cords  so  that  she  could  not  move.  In  an  instant,  another 
bed  was  thrown  upon  her.  One  of  the  priests,  named  Bonin, 
spuntf  like  a  fury  first  upon  it,  with  all  his  force.  He  was  speed- 
ily followed  by  the  nuns,  until  there  were  as  many  upon  the  bed 
as  oould  find  room,  and  all  did  what  they  could,  not  only  to 
smother,  but  to  braise  her.    Some  stood  up  adQ  jumped  upon  the 

Soor  girl  with  their  feet,  some  with  their  knees:  and  others,  in 
ifferent  ways,  seemed  to  seek  how  they  might  best  beat  the 
breath  out  ot  her  body,  and  mangle  it,  without  coming  in  direct 
contact  with  it.  or  seeing  the  effects  of  their  violences.  During 
this  time,  my  feelings  were  almost  too  strong  to  be  endured.  I 
felt  stupefied,  and  scarcely  was  conscious  of  what  I  did.  Still, 
fear  for  myself  remained  m  a  sufficient  degree  to  induce  me  to 
some  exertion ;  and  I  attempted  to  talk  to  those  who  stood  next, 
partly  that  I  might  have  an  excuse  for  turning  Away  from  the 
dreadful  scene. 

After  the  lapse  of  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  and  when  it  was 
presumed  that  the  sufferer  had  been  smothered  and  ernahedto 
death.  Father  Bonia  and  the  nans  ceased  to- trample  upon  her, 
and  stepped  from  the  bed.  All  was  motionless  and  silent  beneath  it. 
They  then  began  to  laugh  at  such  inhuman  thonghts  as  eeour- 
red  to  some  ci  them  rallying  ea<di  other  in  the  most  unfeeling  man- 
«er|  and  ridiculing  me  for  fielings  which  I  in  vaia  endeavoured 


AwM  Blsolosnres  of  Maila  Konk 


45 


toooneeal.  Thej  aIIadecltoihet«iignaticnofoarmQrderedoom- 
panion ;  and  one  of  them  tanffhtiitgly  laid,  "  She  would  haTemada 
a  good  OathoUo  martyr."  ▲fter  iipending  some  momenti  ia  lodt 
oonvanation,  one  of  them  asked  ii  the  corps'  should  be  removed. 
The  Bnperior  said  it  had  better  remain  a  lit.,ie  while.  After  wait- 
ing a  ehort  time  longer,  the  feather-bed  was  taken  off,  the  eords 
unloosed,  and  the  body  taken  by  the  nuns  and  drugged  down 
stairs.  I  was  informed  that  it  ^  as  taken  into  the  cellar,  and 
thrown  unceremoniously  into  the  hole  which  I  hare  already  de- 
scribed,  covered  with  a  great  quantity  of  lime ;  and  afterwards 
sprinkled  with  a  liquid,  of  the  properties  and  name  of  which  I  am 
ignorant.  This  liquid  I'have  seen  poured  into  the  hole  from 
large  bottles,  after  the  necks  were  broken  off ;  and  hare  beard 
that  it  is  used  in  France  to  prevent  the  effluvia  rising  from  ceme- 
teries. 

I  did  not  soon  recover  from  the  shook  caused  by  this  scene;  in« 
deed,  it  still  recurs  to  me,  with  moat  gloomy  impressions.  The 
next  day,  there  was  a  melanoholv  aspect  over  everything,  and  re- 
creation  time  passed  in  the  dullest  manner ;  scarcely  auything^ 
was  said  above  a  whisper.  I  never  heard  much  said  afterwards 
about  Saint  Francos. 

I  spoke  with  one  of  the  nuns,  a  few  words,  one  day,  but  we 
weie  all  <»utioned  not  to  expose  ourselves  very  far,  and  could 
not  place  much  reliance  in  each  other.  The  murdered  nun  had 
been  brought  to  her  shocking  end  through  the  treachery  of  one 
of  our  number  in  whom  she  confided. 

I  never  knevr  with  certainty  who  had  reported  her  remarks  to 
the  Superior,  but  suspicion  fastened  on  one,  and  I  never  could  re- 
gard her  but  with  detestation. 

I  was  more  inclined  to  blame  her  than  some  of  those  employed 
in  the  execution ;  for  there  could  have  been  no  necessity  tor  the 
betrayal  of  her  feelings.  We  all  knew  how  to  avoid  exposing 
each  other. 

I  was  often  sent  bv  the  Superior  to  overhear  what  was  said  by 
novices  and  nuns,  when  they  seemed  to  shun  her ;  she  would  say, 
"  Go  and  listen,  they  are  speaking  English;"  and  though  I  obey- 
ed her,  I  never  informed  her  against  them.  If  I  wished  to  clear 
my  conscience,  I  would  go  to  a  priest  and  confess,  knowing  that 
he  dared  not  communicate  what  I  said  to  any  person,  and  that  he 
would  not  choose  as  heavy  penances  ub  the  Superior. 

We  were  always  at  liberty  to  choose  another  confessor  when  he 
had  any  tin  to  confess,  which  we  were  unwilling  to  tell  one  to 
Whom  we  should  otherwise  have  done. 

Not  long  after  the  murder  juiit  related,  a  young  woman  came 
to  the  nunnery,  and  asked  for  permission  to  see  St.  Frances.  It 
was  my  former  friend,  with  whom  I  had  been  an  fissistant  teacher, 
Miss  Louisa  Bousquet,  of  St.  Dv^nis.  From  this,  I  supposed  the 
murdered  nun  might  have  come  from  that  town,  or  its  vicinity* 
The  only  answer  was,  that  St.  Frances  was  dead. 

Some  time  afterwards,  some  of  St.  Frances'  friends  called  to  in- 

2 uire  after  her,  and  they  were  told  that  she  had  died  a  glorious 
eafli ;  and  further  tQld,  that  sho  made  some  heavenlv  expres- 
sions,  which  were  repeated  ia  order  to  satisfy  her  friends. 


48 


IwM  Bisdosnrai  of  Maria  Monk. 


OHAFTEB  Xn. 

DeMriptioii  of  the  Room  of  the  three  States,  and  the  pletores  in  it— Jane 
Bay— Ridiculins  Priestn— Their  oriminal  treatment  of  at  at  Confev* 
_     elon— Jane  Ray's  tricki  with  the  Nun's  Aprons,  Handkerohielh,  and 
Night  Oowne— Apples. 

Thb  piotares  in  the  room  of  tho  three  states  were  larg^  and 

Eainted  by  some  artist  who  noderstood  how  to  make  some  horri- 
le  ones.  They  appeared  to  be  stuck  to  the  walls.  The  light  is 
admitted  ^rom  small  and  high  windows,  which  are  curtained,  and 
is  rather  faint,  so  as  to  make  everything  look  gloomv.  The  story 
told  ns  was,  that  they  were  painted  by  an  utist.  to  whom  Qod 
had  dten  power  to  represent  things  exactly  at  tney  are  in  hea« 
70^,^1,  and  purgatory. 

In  heaven,  the  picture  of  which  hangs  on  one  side  of  the  apart* 
ment,  multitudes  of  nuns  and  priests  are  put  in  the  highest  plaoeSf 
with  the.  Virgin  Mary  at  their  head,  St.Teter  and  other  saints, 
far  above  the  great  numbers  of  good  Oatholiot  of  other  olassc;, 
whc  are  crowded  in  below. 

In  pnrgatorv  are  multitudes  of  people ;  and  in  one  part,  ealled 
"  TheploDe  qf  lambs,**  are  infants  who  died  nnbaptized.  "  Th$ 
plaiM^ darJmesa'*  is  that  part  of  purgatory  in  which  adults  are 
collected,  and  tl^ ef  e  they  are  surrounded  by  flames,  waiting  to  be 
deliverea  by  the  prayers  of  the  living. 

In  hell,  the  picture  of  which,  ana  that  of  purgatory,  were  on 
the  waH  opponte  that  of  heaven,  the  human  faces  were  the  most 
horrible  that  can  be  imasined.  Persons  of  different  descriptions 
were  represented,  with  the  most  distorted  features,  ghastly  eom- 
plexions;and  every  variety  of  dreadful  expression;  some  with 
wild  beasts  gnawing  ut  their  heads,  others  furiously  biting  the 
iron  bars  which  kept  them  in,  with  looks  which  could  not  fail  to 
make  a  spectator  shudder. 

I  could  hardly  persuade  myself,  that  the  figures  were  Jiot  liv- 
ing, aifd  the  impression  they  made  on  my  iwSnn  was  powwful. 
I  was  often  sh6wn  the  place  where  nuns  go  who  break  their  tows, 
as  a  warning.  It  is  the  hottest  place  in  hell,  and  worse,  fai  every 
potiit  of  view,  even  than  that  to  which  all  Protestants  are  assign- 
ed ;  because  they  are  not  so  much  to  be  blamed,  as  we  were  some- 
times assured, «» their  ministers  and  the  Bible,  by  which  fhey  are 
perverted. 

Whenever  I  was  shut  in  that  room,  as  I  was  several  times,  I 
prayed  for  "  les  &mes  des  fiddles  trepasses ;"  the  souls  of  those  v 
nitnf  ul  ones  who  have  long  been  in  purgatory,  and  have  no  re- 
lations living  to  pray  for  them. 

Mjr  feelinga  were  often  of  the  most  painful  description,  while  I 
remained' alone  with  those  frightful  pictures. 

"Jane  Bay  waironee  put  in,  anduttered  the  most  dreadful  shrieks. 
Some  of  toehold  nuns  pre  «osed  to  the  Superior  to  have  her  gag- 
ged ;  **Ild."  sh^  replied, "  go  and  let  out  uiat  devil,  she  makes  m« 
sin  mon  than  all  the  rest." 

Jane  oould  not  efidure  the  place;  and  she  afterwards  gava 
names  to  many  of  the  worst  figures  of  the  pictures.  On  eate- 
chism-days  she  would  take  «  aeat  ^hind  a  cupboard  door,  whew 
the  priest  bonld  not  see  her,  while  she  faced  ttie  none,  and  would 
makeUs  laugh.  **  Yon  are  not  so  attentive  to  your  lessons  asyoo 
used  to  bo,"  lie  would  begin  to  say,  while  we  were  endeaTOvnnf 
to  suppress' onr  laughter. 


V 


Awftal  Bifldlorarai  of  Marf  a  Monk. 


47 


Jftnt  woald  then  hold  up  tbe  first  letter  of  eone  prlett't  name 
whom  the  had  before  compared  with  one  of  the  faoes  in  '*hell/' 
and  10  look  that  we  oould  hardly  preaerre  our  graTity. 

I  remember  ahe  named  the  wretch  who  was  biting  at  the  bare 
of  hell,  with  a  serpent  gnawing  his  head,  with  ohains  and  pad- 
looks  on,  Father  Dafresne;  and  she  would  say— "  Does  he  not 
look  like  him,  when  he  oomes  in  to  oateohism  with  his  long  so- 
lemn face,  and  begins  his  speeches  with,  *  My  children,  my  hope 
is  that  Tou  have  lived  Tcry  de?out  liTesr  " 

The  first  time  I  went  to  confession  after  taking  the  Tcil,  I  found 
abundant  eyidenoe  that  tbe  priests  did  not  treat  even  that  cere- 
mony, which  is  called  a  solemn  sacrament,  with  respect  enough 
to  lay  aside  the  shameless  character  they  so  often  showed  on  other 
occasions.  The  confessor  sometimes  sat  in  the  room  for  the  ex- 
amination of  conscience,  and  sometimes  in  the  Superior's  room, 
ayd  always  alone  except  the  nun  who  was  confessing.  He  had  a 
Mfnmon  chair  placed  In  the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  instead  of 
being  placed  behind  a  grate,  or  lattice,  as  in  the  chapel,  had  no- 
thing before  or  around  him.  There  were  no  spectators  to  ob- 
serve him,  and  of  course  any  such  thing  would  have  been  unne- 
cessary. 

A  number  of  nuns  usually  confessed  on  the  same  day,  but  only 
one  oould  be  admitted  into  the  room  at  a  tiftie.  They  took  their 
places  Just  without  the  door,  on  their  knees,  and  went  through 
the  preparation  prescribed  by  the  rules  of  confession  :  repeating 
certain  prayers,  whicH  always  occupy  a  considerable  time.  When 
one  was  ready,  she  roii)  from  her  kneeii,  entered,  and  closed  the 
door  behind  her ;  and  no  one  even  dared  touch  the  latch  till  she 
came  out. 

I  shall  not  tell  what  was  transacted  at  such  times,  under  the 
pretence  of  oonf easing,  and  reoeivine  absolution  from  sin;  far 
more  sin  was  often  incurred  than  pardoned  ^  and  crimes  of  a  deep 
dye  were  committed,  while  triflinff  irregularities  in  childish  cere- 
monies, were  tre<i<«a  as  serious  offences.  I  cannot  persuade  my- 
self to  speak  plaiuiy  on  such  a  subject,  as  I  must  offend  the  vir- 
tuous ear.  I  can  only  say,  that  suspicion  cannot )lo  any  injustice 
to  the  priests,  because  their  sins  cannot  be  exaggerated. 

Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  manner  in  which  even  uaek 
women  as  many  of  my  sister  nuns,  regarded  the  father  confes- 
sors, when  I  state  that  thtre  was  of  tan  a  contest  among  us,  to 
avoid  entering  the  apartment  as  Ion;;  as  we  oould :  endeavour- 
ing to  make  each  other  go  first,  as  that  was  what  most  of  us 
dreaded. 

During  the  long  and  tedious  days  which  filled  up  the  time  be- 
tween the  occurrences  I  haye  mentioned,  nothing  or  little  took 
place  to  keep  up  our  spirits.  We  were  fatigued  in  body  with  la- 
bour, or  witn  sitting,  debilitated  by  the  long  continuance  of  our 
religious  exercises,  and  depressed  in  feelings  by  our  miserable  and 
hopeless  condition.  Nothing  but  the  humours  of  mad  Jane  Bay 
oould  rouse  us  for  a  moment  from  our  languor  aud  melancholy. 

To  mention  all  her  devices,  would  require  more  room  than  is 
hare  allowed^  and  a  memory  of  almost  all  her  words  and  actions 
for  years.  I  had  early  become  a  favourite  with  her,  and  had  op- 
portunity to  learn  more  of  he  character  than  most  of  the  other 
nuns.  As  this  may  be  learr-M  from  hearing  what  she  did.  I  will 
here  recount  a  few  of  her  tricks,  just  as  they  happen  to  prseent 
fhamselvci  to  my  memory,  with  regard  to  the  order  of  tiaie* 


48 


IvM  Bifldosnres  of  Maria  Honk; 


lectoirou  ftpront  wuajaua;  aproDi  anapooKes- 

are  the  ouly  articles  of  dress  whioh  are  erer  ironed 

t.  At  soon  as  ve  were  alone,  she  remarked, "  Well, 

sm  the  rules  while  we  are  at  this  work ;"  and,  aU 


ShtontdaT.  in  aa  nnaoooontable  hamovr,  sprinkled  the  floor 
plentif  nlly  with  holy  water,  which  brought  upon  her  a  serere  leo- 
ture  from  the  Superior,  as  might  hare  oeen  expected.  The  Su- 
perior said  it  was  a  heinous  oileor.. :  she  had  wasted  holy  water 
enough  to  saye  many  souls  from  purgatory :  and  what  would 
they  not  give  for  it.  She  then  ordered  Jane  to  sit  in  the  middla 
of  tne  floor,  and  when  the  priest  came,  he  was  informed  of  htr 
offence,  instead,  however,  of  imposing  one  of  those  penanoee 
to  .Thich  she  had  been  subjected,  but  with  so  little  effect,  he  said 
to  her, "  Go  to  your  place,  Jane;  we  forgive  you  for  this  time." 

I  was  once  set  to  iron  aprons  with  Jaue;  aprons  and  pocket- 
handkerchiefs  a~~  ^"^ — ' "-' — '  " ^    *^ ' ^ 

in  the  Oonvent. 

we  are  freeuirom 

though  she  knew  she  had  no  reason  for  saying  so.  she  began  to 

sing,  and  I  soon  Joined  her,  and  thus  we  spent  the  time,  while 

we  were  at  work,  I  ^  the  neglect  of  the  prayers  that  we  ought  to 

hare  said. 

We  had  no  idea  that  we  were  in  danger  of  being  oyerheard, 
but  it  happened  that  the  Superior  was  overhead  all  the  time,  with 
seyeral  nuns,  who  were  preparing  for  confession :  she  came  down 
and  said,  "  How  is  this  r*  Jane  Bay  coolly  replied  that  we  had 
employed  our  time  in  singing  hymns,  and  referred  to  me.  I  was 
afraid  to  coufirmtso  direct  a  falsehood,  in  order  to  deceive  tJie 
Superior,  though  I  had  often  told  more  injurious  ones  of  her 
fabrication,  or  at  her  orders,  and  said  yery  little  in  reply  to  Jane's 
reouest. 

The  Superior  plainly  saw  the  trick  that  was  attempted,  and  or- 
dered us  Doth  to  the  room  for  the  examination  ox  conscience, 
wh^re  we  ri  aaiued  till  night  without  a  mouthial  to  eat.  The 
time  was  not,  however,  unoccupied :  I  received  such  a  lecture 
from  Jane  as  I  haye  very  seldom  heard,  and  she  was  so  angry 
with  me,  that  we  did  not  speak  to  each  other  for  two  weeks. 

At  length  she  found  something  to  complain  of  against  me.  had 
me  subjected  to  a  penance,  which  led  to  our  begging  each  other's 
pardon,  and  we  became  perfectly  satisfied,  reooncilM,  and  aa  good 
friends  as  ever. 

One  of  the  most  disgusting  penances  we  had  eyer  to  submit  to, 
was  that  of  drinking  the  water  in  whioh  the  Superior  had  wash- 
ed her  feet.  Nobody  could  ever  laugh  at  this  penance  except 
Jane  Bay.  She  would  pretend  to  comfort  us,  by  saying  she  was 
sure  it  was  better  than  mere  plain  clear  water. 

Some  of  the  tricks  whioh  I  remember,  were  played  by  Jane 
Hith  nuns'  clothes.  It  was  a  rule  that  ''he  oldest  aprons  in  use 
should  go  to  the  youngest  received,  aoc  t;hat  the  old  nuns  were  to 
wear  all  the  new  ones.  On  four  dilf«»rent  occasions,  Jane  stole 
into  the  sleeping-room  at  night,  ta^  <«uobserved  by  the  watch, 
changed  a  great  part  of  the  aprons,  jUadag  them  by  the  beds  of 
nuns  to  whom  they  did  not  belong.  The  consequence  was,  that 
in  the  morning  they  dressed  tbAmselvvw  iu  such  haste,  as  neyer  to 
disooyer  i.he  mista^  they  mad*,  uiit^  th^  were  idl  ranaed  at 
prayers ;  and  then  the  ridiculouf  appi^-  ^raaoe  which  mAuy  of  them 
out,  disturbed  the  long  devotions.  1  laugh  so  easy  thaL  on  sudh 
occasions,  I  usually  incunwd  a  full  share  of  pec  mces.  ]p  general- 
ly, however,  got  a  new  i^sroo,  when  Jane  played  this  tnck ;  for  it 
was  par<;  of  her  object  to  #\  tiie  beet  aprons  to  her  favourites, 
and  put  oS  the  ragged  oi^«n  some  qtf  the  old  ntina  whom  she 
aotosthafed. 


• 


ivM  Dlsdosares  of  HariaHinlc. 


49 


JftDA  0006  lofl  htr  pookot-handkoroiiiof .  Tho  ponanoo  tor  nioh 
aa  offeiioe  it,  to  go  without  aoy  for  flro  weeks,  for  this  iho  hud 
no  niluh,  and  roqueited  ma  to  piok  one  from  some  of  the  nuui  ou 
the  way  up  etairt.  I  saooeeaed  ia  gettiug  two  i  tbii  Jaae  laid 
was  one  too  mAUj,  and  the  thought  it  danicerous  lor  either  of  us 
to  keep  it,  lest  a  searoh  should  be  made.  Very  soon  the  two  uuus 
were  oomplaining  tbat  they  had  lost  their  haudkurohiefs,  and 
wouderiutf  what  oould  have  beoome  of  them,  as  they  were  sore 
they  had  been  oaref  ul.  Jane  seised  an  opportunity,  aud  slipped 
oue  into  a  straw  bed,  where  it  remained  until  the  bed  was  emp- 
tied to  be  filled  with  new  straw. 

As  the  winter  was  coming  on,  one  year,  she  complaiued  to  me 
that  we  were  not  as  well  supplied  with  warm  ui^bt>olotlies,  as 
two  of  the  nuns  she  named,  whom  she  said  she  '*  abominated." 
She  soon  after  found  means  to  get  possession  of  their  fine  warm 
f\anuel  night-gowns,  one  of  whioh  sne  gave  to  me,  while  the  other 
Whi  put  ou  at  bedtime.  She  presumed  the  owners  would  hare  a 
secrei.  s^uroh  for  them ;  aud  iu  the  morning  hid  them  in  the  stove, 
after  the  fire  had  gone  out,  whioh  was  luudled  a  little  before  the 
hour  of  rising,  ana  then  sufiFered  ter-burn  down. 

This  she  did  every  morning,  taking  them  out  at  night  through 
the  winter.  The  poor  nuns  who  owned  the  garments  were  afraid 
to  complain  of  their  loss,  lest  the^  should  have  some  penance 
laid  on  them,  and  nothing  was  ever  said  about  them.  Wlien  the 
weather  be^an  to  grow  warm  in  the  spring,  Jane  returned  the 
night-gowns  to  the  beds  of  the  nuns  from  whom  she  had  borrow- 
ed them,  aud  they  were  probably  as  much  surprised  to  find  them 
again,  as  they  had  been  before  at  losiuff  them. 

Jane  once  found  an  opportunity  to  ml  her  apron  with  a  quan- 
tity af  fine  apples,  oaMod  faineases,  whioh  came  iu  her  way,  and 
hastening  up  to  the  sleepiug-room,  hid  them  under  my  bed.  Then 
ooming  down,  she  informed  me,  aud  we  agreed  to  apply  for  leave 
to  make  our  elevens,  as  it  is  called.  T<te  meaniug  of  this  is,  to 
repeat  a  certain  round  of  prayers,  fot  mne  d:iys  in  succession,  to 
some  saint  wf  choose  to  address  for  assistance  in  becoming  more 
charitable,  afleotionate,  or  sometUMr^  else.  We  easily  obtaiuoi 
permission,  and  hastened  upetM^s  te  begin  our  nine  days'  feast  on 
the  apples ;  when,  much  to  oar  eurprise,  they  had  all  been  taken 
away,  and  there  was  no  way  1k>  avoid  the  disagreeable  fate  wa 
had  brought  upon  onrselveaw  Jane,  therefore,  began  to  search 
the  beds  of  the  other  nuns;  but  uot  finding  any  trace  of  the  ap« 
pies,  she  became  doubtly  vexed,  aud  stuck  pins  in  those  that  be- 
longed to  her  enemiea. 

When  bed<time  oaase,  they  were  much  scratched  in  getting  into 
bed,  whioh  mAde  th— i  bxeak  silence,  and  that  subjeoted  them  to 
penances. 

GHAFTEB  ZIIL      ' 
Jane  Ray'strieks  oentinnsd— The  broomstick  ghost— Sleep'Walking— Salt- 
ed oidw— Ohsoging  beds    Objeats  of  some  of  her  trloks— Feigned  Hu* 
aiUty— Alarm. 

-^  Jane,  who  had  been  sweeping  the  sleeping-room  for  a 

dreesed  up  the  broomstiok,  when  she  had  completed  her 

with  a  white  oloth  on  the  end,  so  tied  as  to  resemble  an 

m  dressed  in  white,  with  lone  arms  stickins  out.    Tnis 

through  a  brokan  pane  of  gUss,  and  plaoed  it  so  that  it 


50 


kwM  Bisdosnres  of  Uaria  UbnL 


appeared  to  be  looking  in  at  the  window,  by  the  font  of  holy 
water.  There  it  remained  till  the  nnns  came  up  to  bed.  The 
first  who  atopped  at  the  font,  to  dip  her  finger  in,  oanght  a 
glimpse  of  the  singular  object,  and  started  with  terror.  The 
next  was  equally  terrified,  as  she  approached,  and  the  next,  and 
the  next. 

We  all  believed  in  ghosts;  and  it  was  nbt  wonderful  that  such 
an  object  should  cause  alarm,  especially  as  it  was  but  a  short 
time  after  the  death  of  one  of  the  nuns.  Thus  they  went  on, 
each  getting  a  fright  in  turn,  yet  all  afraid  to  speak.  At  length, 
one  more  alarmed,  or  with  less  presence  of  mind  than  the  rest, 
exclaimed,  "  Oh,  mon  Dieu  1  Je  ne  me  coucherais  pas  I"  When 
the  night  watch  called  out,  "  Who's  that?"  she  confessed  she  had 
broken  silence,  but  pointed  at  the  cause ;  and  when  all  the  nuns 
assembled  at  a  distance  from  the  window,  Jane  offered  to  ad- 
vance boldly,  and  ascertain  the  nature  of  the  apparition,  whioh 
they  thought  a  most  resolute  intention.  We  all  stood  looking  on. 
when  she  stepped  to  the  window,  drew  in  the  broomstick,  and 
■howed  us  the  ridiculous  puppet  which  had  alarmed  so  many  su- 
perstitious fears. 

Some  of  her  greatest  feats  she  performed  as  a  sleep-walker* 
Whether  she  ever  walked  in  her  sleep  or  not,  I  am  unable,  with 
certainly,  to  say.)  She,  however,  often  imposed  upon  the  Superi- 
or, and  old  nuns,  by  makin|^  them  think  so,  when  I  knew  she  did 
not ;  and  yet  I  cannot  positively  say  that  she  always  did.  I  have 
remarked  that  one  of  the  old  nuns  was  always  placed  in  our 
sleeping-room  at  night,  to  watch  us.  Sometimes  she  would  be 
inattentive,  and  sometimes  fall  into  a  doze.  Jane  Bay  often  seiz- 
ed such  times  to  rise  from  her  bed,  and  walk  about,  occasionally 
seizing  one  of  the  nuns  in  bed,  in  order  to  frighten  her.  This  she 
generally  effected;  and  many  times  we  have  been  awakened  by 
screams  of  terror.  In  our  alarm,  some  of  us  frequently  broke 
silence,  and  gave  occasion  to  the  Superior  to  lay  us  under  pen- 
ances. Many  times,  however,  we  escaped  with  a  mere  repri- 
mand, while  Jane  usually  received  expressions  of  compassion: 
"  Poor  creature ;  she  would  not  do  so  if  she  were  in  perfect  pos- 
session of  her  reason."  And  Jane  displayed  her  customary  art- 
fulness, in  keeping  up  the  false  impression.  As  soon  as  she  per- 
ceived that  the  old  nun  was  likely  to  observe  her,  she  would 
throw  her  arms  about,  or  appear  unconscious  of  what  she  was  do- 
ing ;  falling  upon  a  bed,  or  standing  stock-still,  until  exertions 
had  been  made  to  rouse  her  from  her  supposed  lethargy. 

We  were  once  allowed  to  drink  cider  at  dinner,  whioh  was 
quite  an  extraordinary  favour.  Jane,  however,  on  account  of  her 
negligence  of  all  work,  was  denied  the  privilege,  which  she  much 
reseuted.  The  next  day,  when  dinner  arrived,  we  began  to  taste 
our  new  drink,  but  it  was  so  salt  we  could  not  swallow  it.  Those 
of  us  who  first  discovered  it  were  as  usual  afraid  to  speak ;  but 
we  set  down  our  cups,  and  looked  around,  till  the  others  made 
the  same  discovery,  which  they  all  soou  did,  and  most  of  them  in 
the  same  manner.  Some,  however,  at  length,  taken  by  surprise, 
uttered  some  ludicrous  exclamation,  on  tastiug  the  salted  cider, 
and  then  an  old  nun,  looking  across,  would  cry  out— 

**  Ah !  tn  oasses  la  silence."  (Ah ;  you've  broken  silence.) 

And  thus  we  soon  got  a  laughing,  beyond  otir  power  of  sup- 
porting it.  At  recreation  that  dav,  the  first  question  asked  by 
many  of  us  was,  "  How  did  yoa  like  your  cider  P' 


iwftal  Bisolosiires  of  Uarla  Honk. 


51 


#- 


Loh  was 
it  of  her 
le  muoh 

to  taste 
Those 
)ak ;  but 
rs  made 

them  in 
surprise, 
id  older, 


Jaae  Bay  neTer  had  a  fixed  place  to  deep  in.  When  the  wea- 
iher  hegan  to  grow  warm  in  the  spring,  she  osdally  pushed  some 
bid  oat  of  its  plaoe,  near  a  window,  and  put  her  own  beside  it ; 
and  when  the  winter  approached,  she  would  choose  a  spot  near 
the  stove,  and  occupy  it  with  her  bed,  in  spite  of  all  remonstrance. 
We  were  all  oonvinoed  that  it  was  generally  best  to  yield  to  her. 

She  was  often  set  tr^ork  in  different  ways ;  bat,  whenever  she 
was  dissatisfied  with  doing  any  thing,  would  devise  some  trick 
that  would  make  the  Superior  or  old  nuns  drive  her  off ;  and  when- 
ever any  suspicion  was  expressed  of  her  being  in  her  right  mind, 
she  would  say  that  she  did  not  know  what  she  was  doing ;  and 
all  the  difficulty  arose  from  her  repeating  prayers  too  much,  which 
wearied  and  distracted  her  mind. 

I  was  once  directed  to  assist  Jane  Bay  in  shifting  the  beds  of 
the  nuns.  When  we  came  to  those  of  some  of  the  sisters  whom 
she  most  disliked,  she  said,  now  we  will  pay  them  for  some  of 
the  penances  we  have  suffered  on  their  account ;  and  takiug  some 
thistles,  she  mixed  them  with  the  straw.  At  night,  the  first  of 
them  that  got  into  bed  felt  the  thistles,  and  cried  out.  The  night-* 
Watch  exclaimed  us  usual,  "  Ton  are  breaking  silence  there." 
And  then  another  scream^  as  she  was  scratched  by  the  thistles, 
and  another.  The  old  nun  then  called  on  all  who  had  broken  si- 
lence to  rise,  and  ordered  them  to  sleep  under  their  beds  as  a 
penance,  which  thev  silently  complied  with.  Jane  and  I  after- 
wards  confessed,  when  it  was  all  over,  and  took  some  trifiing  pen- 
ance which  the  priest  imposed. 

Those  nuns  who  fell  most  under  the  displeasure  on  mad  Jane 
Bay,  as  I  have  intimated  before,  were  those  who  had  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  most  ready  to  inform  of  the  most  trifling  faults  of 
others,  and  especially  those  who  acted  without  any  regard  to 
honour,  by  disclosing  what  they  had  pretended  to  listen  to  in  con- 
fidence. Several  of  the  worst-tempered  "  saints"  she  held  in  ab- 
horrence ;  and  I  have  heard  her  say,  that  such  and  such  she 
abominated.  Many  a  trick  did  she  play  upon  these,  some  of  which 
were  painful  to  them  in  their  consequences,  and  a  good  number 
of  them  have  never  been  traced  to  this  day.  Of  all  the  nuns,  how- 
ever, none  other  was  regarded  by  her  with  so  muoh  detestation  aa 
St.  Hypolite ;  for  she  was  always  believed  to  have  betrayed  St. 
Frances,  and  to  have  caused  her  murder.  She  was  looked  upon 
by  us  as  the  voluntary  cause  of  her  death,  and  ol  the  crime  which 
those  of  us  committed,  who,  unwiUiuffly,  took  part  in  her  execu- 
tion. We,  on  the  contrary,  being  under  the  worst  of  fears  for 
ourselves,  in  case  of  refusing  to  obey  our  masters  and  mistress, 
thought  ourselves  chargeable  with  less  guilt,  as  unwilling  assist- 
ants in  a  scene  which  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  prevent  cr  delay. 
Jane  has  often  spoke  with  me  of  the  suspected  informer,  and  al- 
ways in  terms  of  the  greatest  bitterness. 

The  Superior  sometimes  expressed  commiseratien  for  mad  Jane 
Bay,  but  I  never  could  tell  whether  she  really  believed  her  insane 
or  not.  I  was  always  inclined  to  think,  that  she  was  willing  to 
put  up  with  some  of  her  tricks,  because  they  served  to  divert  our 
minds  from  the  painful  and  depressing  circumstances  in  which  we 
were  placed,  v  I  knew  the  Superior's  powers  and  habits  of  decep- 
tion also,  and  that  she  would  deceive  us  as  willingly  as  any  one 
else. 

.   Sometimes  she  proposed  to  send  Jane  to  St.  Anne's,  a  plaoe 
near  Quebec,  celebrated  for  the  pilgrimages  made  to  it  by  persons 


63 


Awfbl  Disdosoies  of  Maria  VaaL 


diffanntly  affliotad.  It  is  rappoaed  that  aoiiM  peoaliar  virtae  tzlitfl 
there,  which  will  restore  hMlth  to  the  siok;and  I  hare  heacd 
■tories  told  in  oonoboration  of  the  common  belief.  Manylaoie 
and  blind  persons,  with  others,  visit  St.  Anne's  every  year,  ooma 
of  whom  may  be  seen  travelliog  on  foot,  and  begging  their  food. 
The  Superior  would  sometimes  say  that  it  was  a  pity  that  a  wo- 
man like  Jane  Bay,  oapable  of  bang  so  useful,  should  be  unable 
to  do  her  duties,  in  consequence  of  a  malady  which  she  thought 
might  be  cured  by  a  visit  to  St.  Anne's. 

xet  to  St.  Anne's  Jane  was  never  sent,  and  her  wild  and  vari- 
ious  tricks  continued  as  before.  The  rules  of  silence,  which  the 
others  were  so  scrupulous  in  observing,  she  set  at  nought  every 
hour ;  and  as  for  otner  rules,  she  regarded  them  with  as  little  re* 
spect  when  they  stood  in  her  way.  She  would  now  and  then 
step  out  and  stop  the  clock  by  which  our  exercises  were  regula- 
ted, and  sometimes  in  this  manner  lengthened  out  our  recreation 
till  near  twelve.  At  last  the  old  nuns  began  to  watch  against 
such  a  trick,  and  would  occasionally  go  out  to  see  if  the  clock 
was  going. 

She  once  made  a  request  that  she  might  not  eat  with  the  other 
nuns,  which  was  granted,  as  it  seemed  to  proceed  from  a.  spirit  of 
genuine  humility,  which  made  her  regard  herself  as  unworthy  of 
our  society. 

It  being  most  odnvenient,  she  was  sent  to  the  Superior's  table, 
to  take  her  meals  after  her;  and  it  did  not  first  occur  to  the  Su- 
I)erior  that  Jane,  in  this  manner,  profited  by  the  change,  by  get- 
ting much  better  food  than  the  rest  of  us.  Thus  there  seemed  to 
be  always  something  deeper  than  anybody  at  first  suspected,  at 
the  bottom  of  everything  she  did. 

She  was  once  directed  to  sweep  a  community-room,  nnder  the 
sleeping-chamber.  This  office  had  before  been  assigned  to  the 
other  nuns,  as  a  penance ;  but  the  Superior,  considering  that  Jane 
Bay  did  little  or  nothing,  determined  thus  to  furnish  her  with 
some  employment. 

She  declared  to  us  that  she  would  not  sweep  it  long,  as  We 
might  soon  be  assured.  It  happened  that  the  stove  by  which  the 
community-room  was  warmed  in  the  winter,  had  its  pipe  carried 
through  the  floor  of  our  sleeping  chamber,  and  thence  across  it 
in  a  durection  opposite  that  in  which  the  pipe  of  our  stove  was 
carried*  It  being  then  warm  weather,  the  hole  was  left  unstop- 
ped. After  we  had  all  retired  to  our  beds,  and  while  engaged  m 
our  silent  prayers,  we  were  suddenly  alarmed  by  a  bright  blase 
of  fire,  which  Durst  from  the  hole  in  the  floor,  and  threw  q^ks 
all  around  ns.  We  thought  the  building  was  burning,  and  ut- 
tered cries  of  terror,  regardless  of  the  penances,  the  fear  of  whicAi 
generally  kept  us  silent. 

l%e  utmost  confusion  prevailed ;  for  although  we  had  solemnly 
vowed  never  to  flee  from  the  Convent  even  if  it  was  on  fire,  we 
were  extremely  alarmed,  and  could  not  repress  our  feelings.  We 
soon  learnt  the  cause,  for  the  flames  ceased  in  a  moment  or  two, 
and  it  was  found  that  mad  Jane  Bay,  after  sweeping  a  little  in 
the  room  beneath,  had  stuck  a  quantity  of  wet  powder  on  the  end 
of  her  broom,  thrust  it  up  through  the  hole  in  the  cealing  into 
our  apartment,  and  with  a  lighted  paper  set  it  on  fire. 

The  date  of  this  alarm  I  must  refer  to  a  time  soon  after  that  of 
the  election  riots;  for  I  recollect  that  she  found  meant  to  get 
possession  of  some  of  the  powder  which  was  prepared  at  thai 


IwM  Bifldlosiires  of  Haada  Monk. 


63 


thne  f or  an  emerfeiuqir  to  which  lome  thought  the  GonTentwM 
ezpoMd. 

SheoooAMkedforponandpaper^and  then  the  Saperiortold 
her  if  she  "vrote  to  her irienda  she  must  see  it.  She  replied  that 
it  was  for  no  suoh  purpose :  she  wanted  to  write  her  oonfession, 
and  thns  make  it  once  for  all.     She  wrote  it,  handed  it  to  the 

J>rieft.  and  he  gave  it  to  the  Superior,  m\o  read  it  to  us.  It  was 
ttll  of  offences  which  she  had  never  committed,  eyideutiv  written 
to  throw  ridicule  on  confessions,  and  one  of  the  most  ludicrous 
productions  I  ever  saw.  . 

Our  bedsteads  were  made  with  very  narrow  boards  laid  across 
them,  on  which  the  beds  were  laid.  One  day,  while  we  were  in 
the  bed'Chambers  together,  she  proposed  that  we  should  misplace 
these  boards.  This  was  done,  so  that  at  nif^ht  nearly  a  dozen 
nuns  fell  down  upon  the  floor  in  getting  into  bed.  A  good  deal 
of  confusion  naturally  ensued,  but  the  authors  were  not  discoYcr- 
ed.  I  was  so  conscience-stricken,  however,  that  a  week  after- 
wards, while  we  were  examining  our  consciences  together,  I  told 
her  I  must  confess  the  sin  the  next  day.  She  replied,  **  Do  as  you 
like,  but  you  will  be  sorry  for  it." 

The  next  day,  when  we  came  before  the  Superior,  I  was  just 
going  to  kneel  acd  confess,  when  Jane,  almost  without  giving  me 
time  to  shut  the  ''r^'ir  threw  herself  at  the  Superior's  feet  and 
confessed  the  u:  -  1  a  penance  was  immediately  laid  upon  me 
for  the  sin  I  ba<'  c        aled. 

There  was  an  uiU  uun  who  was  a  famous  talker,  whom  we  used 
to  call  La  Mere  (Mother.)  One  night,  Jane  Bay  got  up,  and  se- 
cretly changed  the  caps  of  several  of  the  nuns ;  and  hers  among 
the  rest.  In  the  morning  there  was  great  confusion,  and  suoh  a 
scene  as  seldom  occurred.  She  was  severely  blamed  by  La  Mdre, 
having  been  informed  against  by  some  of  the  nuns;  and  ac  last 
became  so  much  enraged,  that  she  attacked  the  old  woman,  and 
even  took  her  by  the  throat.  La  Mire  called  on  all  present  to 
come  to  her  assistance,  and  several  nuns  interfered.  Jane  seized 
the  opportunity  afforded  in  the  confusion,  to  beat  some  of  her 
worst  enemies  quite  severely,  and  afterward  said,  that  she  had 
.intended  to  kill  some  of  the  rascally  informers. 

For  a  time  Jane  made  us  laugh  so  much  at  prayers,  that  the 
Superior  forbade  her  going  down  with  us  at  morning  prayers ; 
and  she  took  the  opportunity  to  sleep  in  the  morning.  When 
this  was  found  out,  she  was  forltidden  to  get  into  her  bed  again 
after  leaving  it,  and  then  she  would  creep  under  it  and  take  a  nap 
on  the  floor.  This  she  told  us  of  one  day,  but  threatened  us  if  we 
ever  betrayed  her.  At  length  she  was  missed  at  breakfast,  as  die 
would  sometimes  oversleep  herself,  and  the  Superior  began  to  be 
more  strict,  and  always  inquired,  in  the  morning,  whether  Jane 
Bay  was  in  her  place. 

When  the  question  was  general  none  of  us  answered ;  but  when 
it  was  addressed  to  some  nun  near  her  by  name,  as. 

"Saint  Eustace,  is  Jane  Bay  in  her  place  f*  then  we  had  to 


"8r-. 


Of  all  the  scenes  that  occurred  during  my  stay  in  the  Oonvent, 
there  was  none  which  excited  the  delight  of  Jane  more  than  one 
which  took  place  in  the  chapel  one  day  at  mass,  though  I  never 
had  any  partioalar  reason  to  suppose  that  shehad  brought  it  about. 

Some  person  unknown  to  me  to  this  dvf ,  had  put  some  snb« 
itanoe  or  other,  of  a  most  nauseous  smell,  into  the  hat  of  %  little 


54 


AwM  Bisdosnies  of  Maria  HgiiM 


boy,  who  attended  at  the  altar,  and  he,  without  observing  the  triek, 
put  it  upon  his  head.  In  the  midst  of  the  oeremoniee  he  approach- 
ed some  of  the  nuns,  who  were  almost  suffocated  with  the  odour; 
and  as  he  occasionally  moved  from  place  to  place,  some  of  them 
began  to  beckon  to  nim  to  stand  further  off,  and  to  hold  their 
noses,  with  looks  of  disgust.  The  boy  was  quita  unconsdous  of 
the  cause  of  the  difflor'  7,  and  paid  them  no  attention,  but  the 
confurion  soon  becan;  wO  great  through  the  distress  of  some,  and 
thelaughine  of  others,  that  the  Superior  noticed  the  droum« 
stance^  and  beckoned  the  boy  to  withdraw. 

All  attempts,  however,  to  engage  us  in  any  work,  prayer,  or 
meditation,  were  fonnd  ineffectual.  Whenever  the  circumstances 
in  the  chapel  came  to  miud,  we  would  laugh  out.  We  had  got 
into  aurha  state,  that  we  could  not  easily  restrain  ourselves.  The 
Buperior,  yielding  to  necessity,  allowed  us  recreation  for  the  whole 
day. 

The  Superior  used  sometimes  to  send  Jane  to  instruct  the  no- 
vices ic  their  English  prayers.  She  would  proceed  to  the  task 
with  all  seriousness ;  but  sometimes  chose  the  most  ridiculous,  as 
well  as  irreverent  passages  from  the  songs,  and  other  things^ 
which  she  had  sometimes  learned,  which  would  set  us,  who  un- 
derstood her,  laughing.  One  of  her  rhymes,  I  recoUeot,  began 
with— 

*<  The  Lord  of  love— look  from  above 
Upon  this  turkey  hen  1" 

Jane  for  a  time  slept  opposite  to  me,  and  often  in  the  night 
would  rise,  unobserved,  ana  slip  into  my  bed,  to  talk  with  me, 
which  she  did  in  a  low  whisper,  and  returned  again  with  equal 
caution. 

She  would  tell  me  of  the  tricks  she  had  played,  and  such  as  she 
meditated,  and  sometimes  make  me  laugh  so  loud,  that  I  had 
much  to  do  in  the  morning  with  begging  pardons  ani  doing  pen* 
ances. 

One  winter^s  day,  she  was  sent  to  light  a  fire ;  but  after  she  had 
done  so,  remarked  j>rivately  to  some  of  us,  "  my  fingiiiZB  vere  so 
cold — you'il  see  if  I  do  it  again." 

The  next  day  there  was  a  great  stir  in  the  house,becai7r9it  was 
said  that  mad  Jane  Bay  had  been  seized  with  a  fit  whilo  maldng 
a  fire,  and  she  was  taken  np  apparently  inoensible,  and  conveyed 
to  her  bed.  She  complained  to  me,  who  visited  her  in  the  course 
of  the  day,  that  she  was  likely  lo  starve,  as  food  was  denied  her ; 
and  I  was  persuaded  to  pin  a  stocking  under  my  dress,  and  se- 
cretly put  food  into  it  from  the  table.  This  I  afterwards  carried 
to  her,  and  relieved  her  wants. 

One  of  the  things  which  I  had  blamed  Jane  most  for,  was  a 
disposition  to  quarrel  with  any  nun  who  seemed  to  be  winning 
the  favour  of  the  Superior.  She  would  never  rest  until  she  had 
brought  such  a  one  into  some  difficulty. 

We  weire  alV wed  but  little  soap ;  and  Jane,  when  she  found  her 
eupply  nearly  gone,  would  take  the  first  piece  she  could  find.  One 
day  there  was  a  general  search  made  for  a  large  piece  that  was 
missed ;  when,  soun  after  I  had  been  searched,  Jane  Bay  passed 
me,  and  slipped  it  into  my  pocket;  she  soon  after  was  seuched 
herself,  and  then  secretly  came  for  it  again. 

While  I  recall  these  particulars  of  our  Nunnery,  and  refer  so 
often  to  the  conduct  and  language  of  one  of  the  nuns,  I  cannot 
speak  of  some  things,  which  I  believed  or  suspected,  on  account 


AwM  Bisdosurai  of  Maria  Honk. 


55 


f 


of  my  want  of  raffideot  knowledge.  Bat  it  it  a  pity  jon  bare 
not  Jane  Bay  for  a  witness ;  she  knew  manr  thinn  of  which  I 
am  ignorant.  She  mast  be  in  possession  of  facts  that  shoold  be 
known.  Her  long  residence  in  the  Oonvent,  her  habits  of  roam- 
ing aboat  it,  and  of  obserring  eykirything,  mast  hare  made  her 
acquainted  with  things  which  woold  be  heaiu  wiih  interest  I 
always  felt  as  if  she  knew  eveiything.  She  woald  often  go  and 
listen,  or  look  through  the  cracks  into  the  Superior's  room,  while- 
any  of  the  priests  were  closeted  with  her,  and  sometimes  would 
come  and  tell  me  what  she  witnessed.  I  felt  Inyself  bound  to 
oonfesif  on  such  occasions,  and  always  did  so. 

She  knew,  however,  that  I  only  told  it  to  the  priest,  or  to  the 
Sai^rior,  and  without  mentioning  the  name  of  my  informant, 
which  r  was  at  liberty  to  withhold,  so  that  she  was  not  found  out. 
I  often  Mid  to  her,  **  Don't  tell  me,  Jane,  for  I  must  confess  it.'* 
She  wot'li  reply,  **  I^  is  better  for  vou  to  confess  it  than  for  me." 
I  thus  became,  even  against  my  will,  informed  of  scenes  supposed 
by  the  actors  of  them  to  be  secret. 

•Tand  Bay  once  persuaded  me  to  accompany  her  into  the  Supe- 
rior's zoom,  to  hide  with  her  under  the  sofa,  and  await  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  Tisitor  whom  she  expected,  that  we  might  overhear 
what  passed  between  them.  We  had  been  long  concealed,  when 
the  Superior  came  in  alone,  and  sat  for  some  time ;  when,  fearing 
she  might  detect  ns  in  the  stillness  that  prevailed,  we  began  to 
repent  of  our  temerity.  At  length,  however,  she  suddenly  with- 
drew, and  thus  afforded  us  a  welcome  opportunity  to  escape. 

I  was  passing  one  day  through  a  part  of  the  cellar,  where  I  had 
not  often  occasion  to  go,  when  the  toe  of  my  shoe  hit  something. 
I  tripped  and  tell  down.  I  rose  again,  and  holding  my  lamp  to 
see  what  had  caused  my  fall,  I  found  an  iron  ring,  fastened  to  a 
small  square  trap*door.  This  I  had  the  cariosity  to  raise,  and 
saw  four  or  five  steps  down,  but  there  was  not  light  enough  to 
see  more,  and  I  feared  to  be  noticed  by  somebody  and  reported  to 
the  Superior ;  soj  closing  the  door  again,  I  left  the  spot.  At  first 
I  could  not  imagine  the  use  of  such  a  passasre ;  but  it  afterwards 
occurred  to  me  that  it  might  open  to  the  subterranean  passage  to 
the  Seminary ;  for  I  never  could  before  account  for  the  appear- 
ance of  many  of  the  priests,  who  often  appeared  and  disappeared 
among  us,  particularly  at  night,  when  I  knew  the  gates  were 
dosed.  They  could,  as  I  now  saw,  ccme  up  to  the  door  of  the 
Superior's  room  at  any  hour ;  then  up  the  stairs  into  our  sleep- 
ing.:room,  or  where  they  chose.  And  often  they  were  in  our  beds 
before  us. 

I  afterwards  ascertained  that  my  conjectures  were  correct,  and 
that  a  secret  communication  was  kept  up  in  this  manner  between 
these  two  institutions,  at  the  end  towards  Ndtre  Dame  street,  at 
a  considerable  depth  under  ground.  I  often  afterwards  met 
prieste  in  the  cellar,  when  sent  there  for  coals  and  other  articles, 
as  they  had  to  pass  up  and  down  the  common  cellar  stairs  on 
their  way. 

My  wearisome  daily  prayers  and  labours,  my  pain  of  body  and' 
depression  of  mind,  which  were  so  much  increased  by  penances  I 
baid  Bufferedi  and  those  which  I  constantly  reared,  and  the  feel- 
ings of  shame,  remorse,  and  horror,  which  sometimes  arose, 
brouffht  me  to  a  state  which  I  cannot  describe. 

In  the  first  place,  my  frame  was  enfeebled  by  the  unear/  pos- 
tuiM  I  was  required  to  keep  for  so  long  « time  during  prayers. 


53 


AwM  Bifldosnies  of  Mitala  Uonk. 


Q^it  alone^  I  thought,  was  tiiffioieiit  to  undennine  my  health  and 
destroy  my  life.  An  hour  and  a  half  every  morning  I  had  to  sit 
on  the  floor  of  the  oommunitT'Toom,  with  my  feet  under  me,  my 
body  bent  forward,  and  my  head  hanging  on  one  side,  in  a  pos- 
ture ezpressiye  of  great  humility,  it  is  true,  but  rery  fatiguing  to 
keep  for  suoh  an  nnrsasonable  length  of  time.  Often  I  found  it 
impossible  to  avoid  falling  asleep  in  this  posture,  which  I  oould 
do  without  detection,  by  Mudlcg  a  little  lower  than  usual.  The 
signal  to  rise,  or  the  nois'  ^  ide  bv  the  rising  of  the  other  nuns, 
then  woke  me,  and  I  got  r      ith  the  rest  unobserved. 

Before  we  took  the  post  ^  ^ast  described,  we  had  to  kneel  for 
a  long  time  without  bendiuf;  the  body,  keeping  quite  erect,  with 
the  exception  of  the  knees  only,  with  the  hands  together  before 
the  breast.  This  I  found  the  most  distressing  attitude  for  me, 
and  never  assumed  it  without  feeling  a  sharp  pain  in  my  chest, 
which  I  often  thought  would  soon  lead  me  to  my  grave— that  is, 
to  the  fjpreat  common  receptacle  for  the  dead  under  the  chapel. 
And  this  upright  kneeling  posture  we  were  obliged  to  resume  aa 
soon  as  we  rose  from  the  half-sitting  posture  first  mentioned,  so 
that  I  usually  f'jlt  myself  exhausted  and  near  to  fainting  before 
the  conclusion  of  morning  services. 

I  found  the  meditations  extremely  tedious,  and  often  did  I  sink 
into  sleep,  while  we  Wv<)re  all  seated  in  silence  on  the  floor.  When 
required  to  tell  t^j^  meiitations,  as  it  was  thought  to  be  of  no 
great  importance  what  we  said,  I  sometinr  es  found  that  I  had 
nothing  to  tell  but  a  dream,  and  told  that,  which  jiassed  off  very 
well. 

Jane  Bay  appeared  to  be  troubled  still  more  than  myself  with 
wandering  thoughts ;  and  when  blamed  for  them,  would  reply, 
"  I  begin  very  well ;  but  directly  I  begin  to  think  of  some  old 
friend  of  mine,  and  my  thoughts  go  a  wandering  from  one  ooun* 
try  to  another." 

Sometimes  I  confessed  my  falling  asleep.;  and  often  the  priests 
have  talked  to  me  about  the  sin  of  sleeping  in  the  time  of  medi« 
tation.  At  last^  one  of  them  proposed  to  me  that  I  should  prick 
myself  with  a  pm,  which  is  often  done,  and  so  rouse  myself  for  a 
time. 

My  close  opnflnement  in  the  Convent,  and  the  want  of  oppor- 
tunities to  breathe  the  open  air,  might  have  proved  more  injuri- 
ous to  me  thau'they  did,  had  7.  not  been  employed  a  partt)f  my 
time  in  more  active  labours  than  those  of  sewing,  &o.,  to  which  I 
was  chiefly  conflned.  I  took  part  occasionally  in  some  of  the 
heavy  work,  as  washing,  &c. 

The  events  which  I  am  now  to  relate  occurred  about  five  months 
after  my  admission  into  the  Convent  as  a  nun ;  but  I  cannot  fix 
the  time  with  precision,  as  I  know  not  of  anything  that  toqk 
placein  the  world  about  the  same,  period.  The  circumstance  I 
clearly  remember ;  but  as  I  have  elsewhere  remarked,  we  were 
not  accustomed  to  keep  any  account  of  time. 

Information  was  given  to  us  one  day,  that  another  novice  was 
to  be  admitted  among  us ;  and  we  were  required  to  remember  and 
mention  her  often  in  our  prayers,  that  she  might  have  faithful- 
ness in  the  service  of  her  holy  spouse.  No  information  was  given 
us  concerning  her  beyond  this  fact;  not  a  word  about  her  age, 
name,  or  nation.  On  all  similar  ocoanons  the  same  course  was 
pnrsned,  and  all  that  the  nuns  ever  learnt  concerning  one  another 
was  what  thev  might  discover  by  being  togethar,  iuu  whioh  nsa* 
tJij  amottuted  to  little  or  aothins. 


I 


JLwM  BlBolosiireB  of  Maria  Monk. 


57 


■I    • 


' 


Whtn  the  d»7  of  her  admisdon  anrived,  ihont^h  I  did  not  wit- 
noH  the  ceremony  in  the  chapel,  it  wae  a  gratification  to  ne  all  on 
oneaoconnt,  because  we  were  uways  released  from  labour,  and 
enjoyed  a  great  lepreation  day. 

Our  new  sister,  when  ehe  was  introduced  to  the  "  holy'*  society 
of  us  '*  saints,"  proved  to  be  young,  of  about  the  middle  sixe,  and 
▼ery  good  looking  for  a  Canadian ;  for  I  soon  ascertained  that 
■he  was  one  of  my  own  countrywomen.  TUe  Oanaditi^n  females 
are  generally  not  handsome.  I  neyer  learnt  her  name  nor  any- 
thiug  of  her  history.  She  had  chosen  St.  Martin  for  her  nun 
name.  She  was  admitted  in  the  morning,  and  appeared  melan- 
choly  all  day.  This  I  observed  was  always  the  case ;  and  the  re- 
marks made  by  others,  led  me  to  believe  that  they,  and  all  they 
had  seen,  had  felt  sad  and  miserable  for  a  louger  or  ihorter  time. 
Even  the  Superior,  as  it  may  be  recollected,  confessed  to  me  that 
she  experienced  the  same  feelings  when  she  was  received.  When 
bed«time  arrived,  she  proceeded  to  the  chamber  with  the  rest  of 
QS,  Mid  was  assigned  a  bed  on  the  side  of  the  room  opposite  my 
own,  and  a  little  beyond.  The  nuns  were  all  soon  in  bed,  the 
nsuiu  silence  ensued,  and  I  was  making  my  customary  mental 
prayers,  and  composing  myself  to  sleep,  when  I  heard  the  most 
piercing  and  heart-rending  shrieks  proceed  from  our  new  com* 
rade.  xSvery  nun  seemed  to  rise  as  if  by  one  impulse,  for  no  one 
could  hear  such  sounds,  especially  in  such  total  silence,  without 
being  greatly  excited.  A.  general  noise  succeeded,  for  many 
voices  spoke  together,  uttering  cries  of  surprise,  compassion,  or 
fear.  It  was  in  vain  for  the  ui^ht- watch  to  expect  silence :  for 
once  we  forgot  rules  and  peoauces,  and  gave  vent  to  onr  feelings, 
and  she  could  do  nothing  but  call  for  the  Superior. 

I  heard  a  man's  voice  mingled  with  the  cri's  and  shrieks  of  the 
nun.  Father  Quiblier,  of  the  Seminary,  I  bac.  fait  confident,  was 
in  the  Superior's  room  at  the  time  when  we  retired ;  and  several 
of  the  nuns  afterwards  assured  me  that  it  was  he.  The  Superior 
soon  made  her  appearance,  and  in  a  harsh  manner  commanded  si- 
lence. I  heard  her  threaten  gagging  her,  and  then  say, "  You  are 
no  better  than  anybody  else,  and  if  you  do  not  obey,  you  shall  be 
sent  to  the  cells." 

One  young  girl  was  taken  into  the  Convent  during  my  abode 
there,  under  peculiar  circumstances.  I  was  acquainted  with  the 
whole  affair,  as  I  was  employed  to  act  a  part  in  it. 

Among  the  novices  was  a  young  lady,  of  about  seventeen,  the 
daughter  of  an  old  rich  Canadian.  She  had  been  remarkable  for 
nothing  that  I  know  of,  except  the  liveliness  of  her  disposition. 
The  Superior  once  expressed  to  us  a  wish  to  have  her  take  the 
veil;  though  the  girl  herself  had  never  such  intention  that  I  know 
of.  Why  the  Superior  wished  to  receive  her  I  could  only  conjee- * 
ture.  One  reason  might  have  been,  that  she  expected  m  receive 
9.  considerable  sum  from  her  father.  She  was,  however,  strongly 
desirous  of  having  the  girl  in  our  community,  and  one  day  said— 
*'  Let  us  take  her  in  by  a  trick,  and  tell  the  old  man  she  felt  too 
humble  to  take  the  veil  in  public." 

In  obedience  \o  the  directions  of  the  Superior  we  exerted  our- 
selvee  to  main  her  oontented,  especially  when  she  was  first  re- 
ceived, when  we  got  round  her  and  told  her  we  had  felt  so  for  a 
time,  bnt  having  since  become  acquainted  with  the  happiness  of 
nun'e  life,  were  perfectly  content,  and  would  never  be  willing  to 
leave  the  Convent.     An  exception  teemed  to  be  made  in  her  fa> 


53 


AwM  BifldosiireB  of  Maria  Honk. 


▼our,  in  one  respeot ;  for  I  belier*  no  oriminal  attempt  WM  nutdo 
upon  her,  until  aho  had  been  for  lome  time  an  inmate  of  the 
nnnnery. 

Soon  after  her  reception,  or  rather  her  foroible  entry  into  the 
Ooiivent,  her  father  oalled  to  make  enquiries  about  his  daughter. 
The  Superior  first  spoke  with  him  herself,  and  then  oalled  ni  to 
repeat  her  plausible  stoiry,  whioh  I  did  with  aoouraoy.  If  I  had 
wished  to  say  any  thing  else,  I  nerer  should  have  dared. 

We  told  the  foolish  old  man,  that  his  daugiitar,  whom  we  r.U 
affectionately  loved,  had  long  desired  to  become  a  nun,  but  had 
been  too  humble  to  wish  to  appear  before  spectators,  and  had,  at 
her  own  desire,  been  favoured  with  a  private  admission  into  the 
community. 

The  benefit  conferred  u]^n  himself  and  his  family,  bv  this  act 
of  self  •consecration,  I  reminded  him,  must  be  truly  great  and  va- 
luable; as  every  family  who  furnishes  a  priest  or  a  nun,  is  Justly 
looked  upon  as  receiving  the  peculiar  favour  of  hea<  an  on  that 
account.  The  old  Canadian,  firmly  believing  every  word  I  was 
forced  to  toll  him,  took  the  event  as  a  great  blessing,  and  express- 
ed the  greatest  readiness  to  pay  more  than  the  customary  fee  to 
the  Convent.  After  the  interview,  he  withdrew,  promisiitg  soon 
to  return,  and  pay  a  handsome  sum  of  money  tb  the  Convent, 
which  be  performed  with  all  despatch  and  the  g-eatest  cheerful- 
ness. The  poor  girl  never  heard  that  her  father  had  taken  the 
trouble  to  call  and  see  her,  much  less  did  she  know  any  thing  of 
the  imposition  passed  upon  her.  She  remained  in  the  Convent 
when  1  left  it. 

The  youngest  girl  who  ever  took  the  veil  of  our  dsterhood,  was 
only  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  considered  very  pious.  She  lived 
but  a  short  time.  I  was  told  that  she  was  ill-treated  by  the  priests, 
and  believed  her  death  was  in  consequence. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

iDflaendng  novices— DifBcnlty  of  oonvindng  persons  fh>m  the  TTnited 
States— Tale  of  the  Bishop  in  the  city— The  Bishop  in  theGonvent— 
The  prisoners  in  the  cells— Practice  in  singing— Narratives— Jane  Bay's 
hymns— The  Superior's  best  trick. 

It  was  considered  a  great  duty  to  exert  ourselves  to  influence  no- 
vices in  favour  of  the  Boman  Catholic  religion ;  and  different 
nuns  were,  at  different  times,  charged  to  do  what  they  could,  by 
conversation,  to  make  favourable  impressions  on  the  minds  of 
some,  who  were  particularly  indicated  to  us  by  the  Superior.  I 
often  heard  it  remarked,  that  those  who  were  influenced  with  the 
greatest  difficulty,  were  young  ladies  from  the  United  Stetes ;  and 
on  some  of  those,  great  exertions  were  made. 

Cases  in  which  citizens  of  the  States  were  said  to  have  been 
converted  to  the  Boman  Catholic  faith  were  sometimes  spoken  of , 
and  always  as  if  they  were  considered  highly  important. 

The  Bishop,  as  we  Were  told,  was  in  the  public  square,  on  tht 
day  of  an  execution,  when,  as  he  said,  a  stoanger  looked  at  Um 
in  some  peculiar  manner,  which  made  him  confidently  believe 
God  intended  to  have  him  converted  by  his  means.  Whbn  ho 
went  home  he  wrote  a  letter  for  him,  and  the  next  day  he  found 
him  again  in  the  same  place,  and  gave  him  the  letter,  which  led 
to  bis  becoming  a  Boman  Oathouo.  This  man,  it  was  added, 
proved  to  be  a  citizen  of  the  Stetes.  ' 


\ 


AwM  Bisdosnres  of  Uarla  Honlc. 


69 


,•■1 

I 


The  Biihop,  at  I  hart  xmoiurked,  wm  not  rery  dignified  on  all 
oooadoni,  and  lometimeii  acted  in  inoh  a  manner  aa  would  not 
have  appeared  well  in  public. 

One  day  I  law  him  preparing  for  man ;  and  beoanie  he  had 
■ome  difBonlty  in  gettmg  On  mi  robes,  ahowed  evident  eigne  of 
anger.  One  of  the  nuns  remarked :  "  The  Bishop  is  going  to 
perform  a  passionate  mass."  Some  of  the  others  exdaioMd : 
"  Are  Tou  not  ashamed  to  speak  thus  of  my  lord  P"  And  she  was 
rewarded  with  a  penance. 

But  it  might  be  hoped  that  the  Bishop  wonld  be  free  from  the 
crimes  of  which  I  have  declared  so  many  priests  to  have  been 

g kilty.  I  am  far  from  entertaining  each  charitable  opinions  of 
m ;  rnd  I  had  good  reasons,  after  a  time. 

I  was  often  required  to  sleep  on  a  sofa,  in  the  room  of  the  pre- 
lent  Superior,  as  l  may  have  already  mentioned. 

One  night,  not  long  i^ter  I  was  first  introduced  there  for  that 
purpose,  and  within  the  first  twelve  months  of  my  wearing  the 
Toil,  having  retired  as  usual,  at  about  half«past  nine,  not  long 
after  we  had  got  into  bed,  the  alarm-bell  from  without,  which 
hangs  over  the  Superior's  bed,  was  rung.  She  told  me  to  see  who 
was  thee ;  and  going  down,  I  heard  we  signal  given,  which  I 
have  before  mentioned,  a  peculiar  kind  of  nissing  sound  made 
through  the  teeth.  I  answered  with  a  low  "  Hum — ^hum  ;**  and 
then  opened  the  door.  It  was  Bishop  Lartique,  the  present  Bis- 
hop of  Montreal.  He  said  to  me,  "  Are  you  a  Novice  or  a  Beceiv- 
ed  r"  meaning  a  Beceived  nun.    I  answered, "  a  Beceived.' 

He  then  requested  me  to  conduct  him  to  the  Superior's  room, 
which  I  did.  He  went  to  the  bed,  drew  the  curtains  behind  him, 
and  I  lay  down  again  upon  the  sofa,  until  morning,  when  the  Su- 
perior called  me,  at  an  early  hour,  about  daylight,  end  directed 
me  to  show  him  the  door,  to  which  I  conducted  him,  and  he  took 
his  departure. 

I  continued  to  visit  the  cellar  frequently,  to  carry  up  coal  for 
the  fires,  without  anything  more  than  a  general  impression  that 
there  were  two  nuns  somewhere  imprisoned  in  it.  One  day,  while 
there  on  my  usual  errand,  I  saw  a  nun  standing  on  the  right  of 
the  cellar,  in  front  of  one  of  the  cell  doors  I  had  before  observed ; 
she  was  apparently  engaged  with  something  within.  This  at- 
tracted my  attention.  The  door  appeared  to  close  in  a  small  re- 
cess, and  was  fastened  with  a  stout  iron  bolt  on  the  outside,  the 
end  of  which  was  secured  by  being  let  into  a  hole  in  the  stone- 
work which  formed  the  posts.  The  door,  which  was  of  wood, 
was  sunk  a  few  inches  oeyond  the  stonework,  which  rose  and 
formed  an  aich'overhead.  Above  the  bolt  was  a  small  window, 
supplied  with  a  fine  grating,  which  swung  open,  a  small  bolt  hav* 
ing  Dcen  removed  from  it,  on  the  outside.  The  nun  I  had  ob- 
served seemed  to  be  whispering  with  some  person  within,  through 
the  little  wfndow ;  but  I  hastened  to  get  my  coal,  and  left  the  cel- 
lar, presuming  that  was  the  prison.  When  I  visited  the  place 
again,  being  tuone,  I  ventured  to  the  spot,  determined  to  learn 
the  truth,  presuming  that  the  imprisoned  nuns,  of  whom  the  Su- 
perior had  told  ate  on  my  admission,  were  confined  there.  I 
spoke'  at  the  window  where  I  had  seen  the  nun  standing,  and 
heard  a  voice  reply  in  a  whisper.  The  aperture  was  so  small,  and 
the  place  so  dark,  that  I  could  see  nobody;  but  I  learnt  that  a 

Kor  wretch  was  confined  ttiere  a  prisoner.    I  feared  that  I  might 
discovered,  and  after  a  few  words,  whidi  I  thought  could  do 
tto  harm,  I  withdrew. 


60 


iwM  IMsolosiizeB  of  Haiia  Honk. 


My  oariodtj  WM  now  aliTe  to  laani  eTwythinff  I  ooald  aboat 
10  myiterioni  a  lobjtct.  I  made  a  few  inaniiriM  of  St.  XaTiar, 
who  only  informed  me  that  they  w^  panuhed  for  refadoff  to 
obey  the  Superior,  Bishop,  and  Frieats.  I  af terwarda  found  that 
the  other  nans  were  aoquainted  with  the  fact  I  had  J  net  discover- 
ed. All  I  could  learn,  however,  was  that  the  prisoner  in  the  c^U 
whom  I  had  just  spoken  with,  and  another  in  the  cell  Just  be- 
yond, had  been  confined  there  several  years  without  having  been 
takdn  out ;  but  their  names,  connexions,  offences,  and  everything 
else  relating  to  them,  I  could  never  learn,  and  am  still  as  ignor- 
ant of  as  ever.  Some  conjectured  that  they  had  refused  to  com- 
ply with  some  of  the  rules  of  the  Oonvent,  or  requisitions  of  the 
Superior ;  others,  that  they  were  heiresses  whose  property  was 
desired  for  the  Oonvent,  and  who  would  not  consent  to  sign  deeds 
of  iti  Some  of  the- nuns  informed  me,  that  the  severest  of  their 
Bufferings  arose  from  fear  of  supernatural  beings. 

I  often  spoke  with  one  of  them  in  passing  near  their  cells,  when 
on  errands  in  the  cellar,  but  never  ventured  to  stop  long,  or  to 

{)re8S  my  inquiries  very  far.  Besides,  I  found  her  reserved,  and 
ittle  disposed  to  converse  freely,  a  thing  I  could  not  wonder  at 
when  I  considered  her  situation,  and  the  character  of  pfrsons 
around  her.  She  spoke  like  a  woman  in  feeble  health,  and  of 
broken  spirits.  I  occasionally  saw  other  nuns  speaking  to  them, 
particularly  at  mea)  times,  when  they  were  regularly  fumishea 
with  food,  which  was  such  as  we  ourselves  ate. 

Their  cells  were  occasionally  cleaned,  and  then  tu6  doors  were 
opened.  I  never  looked  into  them,  but  was  informed  that  the 
ground  was  their  only  floor.  I  presumed  that  they  were  furnish- 
ed with  straw  to  lie  upon,  as  I  alwavs  saw  a  quantity  of  old  straw 
scattered  about  that  part  of  the  cellar,  after  the  cells  had  been 
cleaned.  I  once  inquired  of  one  of  them  whether  they  could  con- 
verse together,  and  she  replied  that  they  could,  through  a  small 
opening  between  their  cells,  which  I  could  not  see. 

I  once  inquired  of  the  one  I  spoke  with  in  passing,  whether  she 
wanted  anything,  and  she  replied,  *'  Tell  Jane  Bay  I  want  to  see 
her  a  moment  if  she  can  slip  away."  When  I  went  up  I  took  an 
opportunity  to  deliver  my  message  to  Jane,  who  concerted  with 
me  a  signal  to  be  used  in  future,  in  case  ^  similar  re?j^^uest  should 
be  made  through  me.  Tbis  was  a  sly  wink  at  her  with  one  eye, 
accompanied  with  a  slight  toss  of  the  head.  She  then  sought  an 
opportunity  to  visit  the  cellar,  and  was  soon  able  to  hold  an  in- 
terview with  the  poor  prisoners,  without  being  noticed  by  any 
one  but  myself.  I  afterwards  learnt  that  mad  Jane  Bay  was  not 
BO  mad  but  she  could  feel  for  those  miserable  beings,  and  carry 
through  measures  for  their  comfort.  She  would  often  visit  them 
with  sympathizing  words,  and  when  necessary,  conceal  part  of 
her  food  while  at  table,  and  secretly  convey  it  into  their  dungeons. 
Sometimes  we  would  combine  for  rach  an  object;  and  have  re- 
peatedly aided  her  in  thus  obtainiag  a  larger  supply  of  food  than 
they  had  been  able  to  obtain  from  others. 

I  frequently  thought  of  the  two  runs  confined  in  the  cells,  and 
occasionally  heard  something  said  ibout  them,  but  veryUttle. 
Whenever  I  visited  the  cellar  and  thought  it  safe,  I  wentrnp  to 
the  first  uf  them  and  spoke  a  word  or  two,  and  nsnaUv  got  soma 
brief  reply,  without  ascertaining  that  any  particular  onange  took 
place  with  either  of  them.  The  one  with  whom  alone  I  aver  oon- 
versed,  spoke  English  perfectly  well,  and  nranoh  X  thoaghfc  aa 


I 


Iwftl  Bladloiniiefl  of  llarla  Monk. 


ei 


I 


wen.  I  rappoMd  iha  mmt  hara  been  well  edaoated,  forleonld 
Mt  tell  whicii  WM  her  natire  langnaiie.  I  remember  that  she 
freqoenthr  need  theee  words  when  I  wished  to  say  more  to  her, 
ana  which  alone  showed  that  she  was  constantly  afraid  of  pun- 
ishment, **  Oh,  there's  somebody  coming— do  go  away  I"  I  hare 
been  told  that  the  other  pr..«oner  also  spoke  £mglish. 

It  was  impossible  for  me  to  form  any  certain  opinion  about  the 
sIm  or  appearauce  of  those  two  miserable  creatures,  for  their 
cells  were  perfectly  dark,  and  Inerer  caught  the  slightest  glimpse 
eren  of  their  faces.  It  is  probable  they  wer^  women  not  aboTC 
the  middle  rise,  and  my  reason  for  this  presumption  is  the  follow- 
ing :  I  was  sometimes  appointed  to  lay  out  the  dean  dothes  for 
alTthe  nuus  in  the  OonTcnt  on  Saturday  erening,  and  was  always 
directed  to  lay  by  two  suits  for  the  prisoners.  Particular  orders 
were  given  to  select  the  largest  sized  garments  for  several  tall 
nuns ;  but  nothiug  of  the  kind  was  ever  said  in  relation  to  the 
dothes  for  those  in  the  ceils. 

I  had  not  been  long  a  veiled  nun,  before  I  requested  of  the  Su- 
perior permission  to  confess  to  the  "  Saint  Bon  Pasteur,"  (Holy 
Good  Snepherd)  that  is,  the  mysterious  and  nameless  nun  whom 
I  had  heard  of  while  a  novice.  I  knew  of  several  others  who  had 
confessed  to  her  at,  different  times,  and  of  some  who  had  sent 
their  clothes  to  be  touched  by  her  when  they  were  sick ;  and  I 
felt  a  desire  to  unburden  my  heart  of  certain  things,  which  I  was 
loa;h  to  acknowledge  to  the  Superior,  or  any  of  the  priests. 

The  Superior  made  me  wait  a  little,  until  she  could  ascertain 
whether  the  "  Saiut  Bon  Pasteur"  was  ready  to  admit  me ;  aud, 
after  a  time,  returned,  and  told  me  to  enter  the  old  nuns'  room. 

S^at  apartment  has  twolve  beds  arranged  like  the  berths  of  a 
ip,  by  threes ;  and  as  each  is  broad  enough  to  recdve  two  per- 
sons, twenty>f  OUT  may  be  lodged  there,  which  was  about  the  num- 
ber of  old  nuns  in  the  Oonvent  during  most  of  my  stay  in  it.  Near 
an  opposite  comer  of  the  apartment  waa  a  large  glass  case,  with 
no  appearance  of  a  door,  or  other  opening,  in  any  part  of  it ;  and 
in  that  case  stoooi  the  venerable  nnu,  in  the  dress  of  the  commu- 
nity, with  her  thick  veil  spread  over  her  face,  so  as  to  conceal  it 
entirely.  She  was  standing,  for  the  place  did  not  allow  room  for 
sitting,  and  moved  a  little,  which  was  the  only  sign  of  life,  as  she 
did  not  speak.  I  fell  upon  my  knees  before  her,  and  began  to 
confess  some  of  my  imperfections,  which  lay  heavy  upon  my 
mind,  imploring  her  aid  and  intercession,  that  I  might  be  deliver- 
ed from  t^'^m.  She  appeared  to  listen  to  me  with  patience,  but 
still  neve  returned  a  word  in  reply.  I  became  much  affected  as 
I  went  on ;  at  length  b^an  to  weep  bitterly :  and,  when  I  with- 
drew, was  in  tears.  It  seemed  to  me  that  my  heart  was  remark- 
ably relieved,  after  this  exercise ;  and  all  the  requests  I  had  made, 
I  found,  as  I  believed,  strictly  fulfilled.  I  often,  afterwards,  vi- 
sited the  old  nuns'  room  for  the  same  purpose,  and  with  similar 
results ;  so  that  my  belief  in  the  sanctity  of  the  nameless  nuUi  and 
my  regard  for  her  intwcession,  were  unbounded. 

What  is  remarkable,  though  1  repeatedly  was  sent  into  that 
room  to  dust  it,  or  to  put  it  in  order,  I  remarked,  that  the  glass 
case  was  vacant  and  no  signs  were  to  be  found,  either  of  the  nun, 
or  of  the  way  by  Which  she  had  left  it !  so  that  a  solemn  condu- 
■ion  rested  upon  my  mind,  that  she  had  gone  on  one  of  her  fre- 
quent visits  to  heaven, 

A  ptieet  woold  aoaletimes  come  in  the  daytime  to  teach  us  to 


68  IwfU  Slfldofiores  of  Uaila  Ifenk. 

tingt  and  thte  wm  don*  with  loine  pt,m&t  or  ttir.  m  if  it  wtt 
oonddered.  or  meaot  to  bo  oonaidorod,  m  » thing  of  importanoo. 

Th-*  intiraotiont,  howortr,  wore  •ntii'ely  ropotitiont  of  the 
frordi  Mid  tanas,  nothing  baing  taught  aTan  of  tha  first  prindplaa 
of  tha  sdanoa.  It  appaarad  to  ma.that^although  hymns  alona  wara 
sung,  tha  axarcisa  was  ohiafly  dasignad  for  onr  amuMmant,  to  raisa 
oar  spirits  a  littla,  which  wara  apt  to  baooma  deprasaad.  Mad  Jana 
Bay  oartaiuly  usually  traatad  tha  whola  thing  as  a  matter  of  sport, 
and  oftan  azdtad  thosa  of  ua  who  undarstooid  English,  to  a  graat 
dagraa  of  mirth.  Sha  had  a  very  flna  voioa,  which  was  so  powar- 
f  ulaa  ganarally  to  ba  heard  abova  tha  rest.  Sometimes  she  woold 
ba  silent  when  the  other  nuns  began ;  and  tha  Superior  would  of- 
tan call  out,  '*  Jane  Bay,  you  don't  ung."  She  always  had  soma 
trifling  excuse  ready,  and  commonly  appeared  anwilung  to  Join 
the  rent. 

After  being  urged  or  commanded  by  tha  Superior,  she  would 
then  strike  up  some  English  song,  or  profane  parody,  which  was 
rendered  ten  times  more  ridiculous  by  the  ignorance  of  the  lady 
Superior  and  tha  majority  of  the  nuns.  Icannot  help  laughing 
now  when  I  remember  how  sha  used  to  stand  with  perfect  com- 
posure, and  sing, 

"  I  wish  I  was  married  and  nothing  to  me. 
With  plenty  of  money  and  nothing  to  do. 

« Jane  Bay,  you  don't  sing  right,"  the  Superior  would  exclaim. 
**  Oh,"  sha  woutd'rlply  with  perfect  coolness,  that  is  the  English 
for 

"  Sei^eur  Dieu  de  olemenoe, 
Beoois  ce  grand  pecheur!" 
and,  as  sung  by  her,  a  person  ignorant  of  the  language  would  na- 
turally be  imposed  upon.  It  was  extremely  difficult  for  me  to 
conceal  my  laughter.  I  have  always  had  greater  exertion  to  make 
in  repressing  it  tha**  moat  other  persons ;  and  mad  Jane  Bay  of- 
ten took  adrantage  of  this. 

Saturday  evening  usually  brought  with  it  much  unpleasant 
work  for  some  of  us.  We  received  Sacrament  every  Sundav ;  and 
in  preparation  for  it,  on  Saturdav  evening,  we  asked  pardon  of 
the  Superior,  and  of  each  other,  "*  for  the  scandal  we  had  caused 
them  since  we  last  received  the  Sacrament/'  and  then  asked  tha 
Superior's  permission  to  receive  it  on  the  following  day.  She  en- 
quired of  each  nun,  who  neoessarilv  asked  her  permission,  whe- 
ther she,  naming  her  as  Saint  somebody,  had  concealed  any  sin 
that  should  hinder  her  receiving  it ;  and  if  the  answer  was  in  the 
necnative,  she  granted  her  permission. 

On  Saturday  we  were  catechised  by  a  priest,  being  assembled 
in  a  community-room.  He  sat  on  the  right  of  the  door,  in  a  chair. 
He  often  told  us  stories,  and  frequently  enlarged  on  the  duty  of 
enticing  novices  into  the  nunnery.  **  Do  you  not  feel  happy,"  ha 
would  say, "  now  that  you  are  safely  out  of  the  world,  and  sure 
of  heaven  P  But  remember  how  many  poor  people  are  yet  in  tha 
world.  Every  novice  you  influence  to  take  the  black  veil,  will 
add  to  your  honour  in  heaven.     Tell  them  how  happy  you  are." 

The  Superior  played  one  trick  while  I  was  in  the  C!onvant| 
which  always  passed  for  one  of  the  mobt  admirable  she  ever  car- 
ried into  execution.  We  were  pretty  good  judges  in  a  case  of  this 
kind ;  for,  aa  may  be  persumed,  we  were  rendered  familiar  with 
the  arts  of  decepuou  under  so  accomplished  a  teacher. 

There  was  an  ornament  ou  hand  in  the  Nnrmraj,  of  an  extra- 


iwfU  Biadonirei  of  ]£arla  MonL 

ordJnaij  kind,  wLioh  wm  priiad  at  Imi  poaads ;  bat  it  hftd  b«oa 
oxpoMa  to  view  lo  long,  tnat  it  bMun*  aamAgM  and  auita  an- 
•atMble.  Wa  wan  ona  aaj  Tititad  by  an  old  priaat  from  tha  ooan* 
try,  who  was  atidantiv  lomawhat  intozioatad ;  and  aa  ha  with* 
draw  to  go  to  hit  lodgingt  in  tha  Baminary,  whara  tha  conntry 

giaati  of  tan  stay,  the  Superior  o  aoeired  a  plan  for  ditpoiing  of 
a  old  ornament.  **  Oome,"  laid  she,  **  we  will  send  it  to  the  old 
priest,  and  awear  he  has  bought  it." 

Wa  all  approved  of  the  ingenious  dsTice,  for  it  eridently  olass* 
ad  among  tha  pious  frauds  we  had  so  often  had  reoommeuded  to 
ns,  both  by  pecept  and  example ;  and  the  ornament  was  sent  to 
bim  the  next  morning,  as  his  property  when  paid  for.  He  soon 
oama  into  the  OonTent,  and  ezpreased  the  greatest  surprise  that 
be  had  been  charged  with  porcnasing  such  a  tiling,  for  which  ha 
bad  no  need  and  no  desire. 

The  Superior  heard  his  declaration  with  patience,  but  poli(>'ly 
insisted  that  it  was  a  fair  bargain ;  and  we  then  surrounded  bha 
old  priest,  with  the  strongest  assertions  that  such  was  the  fact,  and 
that  nobody  would  have  thought  of  his  purchasing  it  unless  ho 
bad  expressly  engaged  to  take  it.  The  poor  old  man  was  entirelv 
put  down.  He  was  certain  of  the  truth ;  but  what  could  he  do 
to  resist  or  disprove  a  direct  falsehood  pronounced  by  the  Supe- 
rior of  a  Convent,  and  sworn  to  by  all  her  holy  nuns?  He  finally 
expressed  his  conviction  that  we  were  right :  and  was  compelled 
to  pay  his  money. 

OHAPTBB  XT. 

Freqoenoy  of  the  prie-ts*  visits  to  the  Nuonerj— Their  flreedom  and  crimes 
—SilBoulty  01  leurning  their  names— Their  Holy  Retreat— Objeotlous 
incur  minds— Means  used  to  oounteraot  oonsoienoe— Ingenious  Argw* 
ments. 

SoMB  of  the  priests  from  the  Seminary  were  in  the  Nunnery  every 
day  and  night,  and  often  several  at  a  time.  I  have  seen  nearly 
all  of  them  at  different  times,  though  there  are  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  in  the  district  of  Montreal.  There  was  a  difference  in 
their  conduct:  though  I  believe  every  one  of  them  was  guilty  of 
licentiousness ;  while  not  one  did  I  ever  see  who  maintained  a 
character  any  way  becoming  the  profession  of  a  priest.  Some 
were  gross  and  degraded  in  a  degree  which  few  of  my  readers  can 
ever  have  imagiuM :  and  I  should  be  unwilling  to  offead  n  A^e, 
and  corrupt  the  heart,  of  any  one,  by  an  account  of  thel:  *r  :.d8 
and  actions.  Few  imaginations  can  conceive  deeds  so  abomin- 
able as  thev  practised,  and  often  required  of  some  of  the  poor 
women,  under  the  fear  of  severe  punishments,  and  even  uf  death. 
I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  with  the  strongest  confldeuc«),  that  aU 
though  some  of  the  nuns  bcjame  lost  to  every  senti'nont  of  virtue 
and  honour,  especially  one  of  the  Oongregational  Nunnery  whom 
I  have  before  mentioned.  Saint  Patrick,  tbe  greater  part  of  them 
loathed  the  practices  to  which  they  were  compelled  to  submit,  by 
their  Superior  and  priests,  who  kept  them  under  so  dreadful  a 
bondage. 

Some  of  the  priests  whom  I  saw  I  never  knew  by  name,  and 
the  names  of  others  I  ^d  not  learn  for  a  time,  and  at  last  learnt 
only  by-accident. 

QHiey  were  always  called  "  Mon  Pdre,"  (my  father,)  but  some- 
times when  they  had  purchased  something  in  the  ornament-room, 
they  would  give  their  real  names,  with  directions  where  it  should 


64 


AwM  Dlsdosuies  of  ILaria  Honb 


I  "  • 


be  lent.  tUaj  names  thns  learnt,  and  in  othe^  ways,  wen 
whispned  about  from  nun  to  nun,  and  became  pretty  genteally 
known.  Several  of  the  priests  some  of  us  had  seen  before  we  en- 
tered the  Oonveut. 

Many  things  of  which  I  speak,  from  the  nature  of  the  case, 
must  necessarily  rest  chieflr  upoa  my  own  word,  until  further 
evidence  can  be  obtained ;  but  there  are  some  facts  for  which  I 
can  appeal  to  the  knowledge  of  others.  It  is  commonly  known 
in  Montreal  that  some  of  the  priests  occasionally  withdraw  from 
their  customary  employments,  aud  are  not  to  be  seen  for  soma, 
time ;  it  beiag  understood  ti.at  they  have  retired  for  religious 
study,  meditation,  and  devotion,  tor  the  impiovement  of  their 
heaits.  Sometimes  they  are  thus  withdrawn  from  the  world  fox 
three  weeks :  but  there  is  no  fixed  period. 

This  was  a  fact  I  knew  before  I  took  the  veil ;  for  it  is  a  fre- 
quent subject  of  remark,  that  such  and  such  a  Father  is  on  a'' 
'*  holy  retreat."  This  is  a  term  which  conveys  the  idea  of  a  reli- 
gious seclusion  from  the  world,  for  sacred  purposes.  On  the  re- 
appearance of  a  priest  after  such  a  period,  in  the  church  or  the 
streets,  it  is  natural  to  feel  a  peculiar  impression  of  his  devout 
character — an  impression  very  different  from  that  conveyed  to  the 
mind  who  knows  matters  as  they  really  are.  Suspicions  have 
been  indulged  by  some  in  Canada  on  this  subject,  aud  facts  are 
known  by  at  least  a  few.  I  am  abie  to  speak  from  personal  know- 
ledge ;  for  I  have  b<)en  a  nun  of  Soaur  Bourgeoise. 

The  priests  are  liable,  by  their  dissolute  habits,  to  occasional 
attacks  of  disease,  which  render  it  necessary,  or  at  least  prudent, 
to  submit  to  medical  treatment. 

In  the  filack  Nunnery  they  find  private  accommodation,  for 
tney  are  free  to  enter  one  of  the  private  hospitals  whenever  they 
I>lease ;  which  is  a  room  set  a,part  on  purpose  for  the  accommoda— 
>  tion  of  the  priests,  and  is  called  a  retreat-room.  But  an  excuse 
is  necessary  to  blind  the  publiC;  and  this  they  find  in  the  pretence 
they  make  of  being  in  a  "  Holy  Betreat.*'  Many  such  oases  have 
I  known ;  and  I  can  mention  the  names  of  priests  who  have  been 
conflued  in  this  Holy  Betreat.  They  are  very  carefully  attended 
by  the  Superior  and  old  nuns,  and  their  diet  consists  mostly  of 
vegetable  soups,  &c.,  with  but  little  meat,  aud  that  fresh.  I  have 
Been  an  instrument  of  surgery  lying  upon  the  table  in  that  holy 
room,  which  is  used  only  for  particuiai'  purposes. 

Father  Tombeau,  a  Bomr  i  priest,  wan  on  one  of  his  holy  re- 
treats about  the  time  whcL  <  left  the  Nunnery.  There  are  some* 
times  a  number  confined  t*  ire  at  the  same  time.  The  victims  of 
these  priests  frequently  shi   e  the  same  fate. 

I  have  often  refiected  how  grievously  I  had  been  deceived  in  my 
opinions  of  a  nun's  condition  1— All  the  holiness  of  their  lives,  I 
now  saw  was  merely  pretended.  The  appearance  of  sanctity  and 
heavenly-mindeduess  which  they  had  shown  among  us  novices,  I 
found  was  only  a  disguise  to  conceal  such  practices  as  would  not 
be  tolerated  in  any  decent  society  in  the  world  ;  aud  ai  for  joy 
and  peace  like  that  of  heaven,  which  I  had  expected  to  find  among 
them,  I  learnt  too  well  that  they  did  not  exist  there. 

The  only  way  in  which  such  uoughts  were  oounteracted,  was 
by  the  ooQstant  instructions  given  us  by  the  Superior  and  priests, 
to  regard  every  doubt  as  a  mortal  sin.      Other  faults  we  might    ^ 
have,  as  we  were  told  over  and  Qver  again,  which  though  woriny 
of  peuaaoes,  were  far  less  sinful  than  these.    FocanuntodoaM 


IwM  Bifldlosnies  of  Uaiia  Honki 


65 


that  she  wm  doing  her  duty  in  fulfilling  her  rows  and  oaths,  was 
a  heinona  offence,  and  we  ^  /ere  exhorted  always  to  rappren  our 
donhta,to  confess  them  without  reserve,  and  cheerfully  submit 
to  severe  penances  on  account  of  them,  as  the  only  means  of  mor- 
tifying our  evil  dispositions,  and  resisting  the  temptations  of  the 
devil.  Thus  we  learnt  in  a  good  degree  to  resist  our  minds  and 
consciences,  when  we  felt  the  rising  of  a  question  about  the  duty 
of  doing  anything  required  of  us. 

To  enforce  this  upon  us,  they  employ  various  means.  Some  of 
the  most  striking  stories  told  us  at  catechism  by  the  priests,  were 
-designed  for  this  end.  One  of  these  I  will  repeat.  "  One  day," 
as  a  priest  assured  us,  who  was  hearing  us  say  the  catechism  on 
Saturday  afternoon,  '*  as  one  Monsieur  *  *  *  *,  a  well-known 
oitiaen  of  Moutroal,  was  walking  near  the  cathedral,  he  saw  Sa- 
tan giving  orders  to  innumerable  evil  spirits  who  were  assembled 
around  him.  Being  afraid  of  being  seen,  and  yet  wishing  to  ob- 
serve what  was  done,  he  hid  himself  where  he  could  observe  all 
that  passed.  Satan  despatched  his  devils  to  different  parts  of  the 
city,  with  directions  to  do  their  best  for  him  ;  and  they  returned 
in  a  short  time,  bringing  in  reports  of  their  success  m  leading 
persons  of  different  classes  to  the  commission  of  various  sins, 
which  they  thought  would  be  ajfreeable  to  their  master.  Satan, 
however,  expressed  his  dissatisfaction,  and  ordered  them  out 
again;  but  just  then  a  spirit  from  the  Black  Nunnery  came,  who 
had  not  bc'^n  seen  before,  and  stated  that  he  had  been  trying  for 
seven  years  to  persuade  one  of  the  Dunnto  doubt,  and  had  just 
succeeiaed.  Satan  received  the  intelligence  with  the  highest  plea- 
sure ;  and  turning  to  the  spirits  around  him,  said :  *  You  nave 
not  half  done  your  work, — he  has  done  much  more  than  all  of 
you  put  together.' " 

In  spite,  however,  of  our  instructions  and  warnings,  our  fears 
and  penan<fes,  such  doubts  would  obtrude ;  and  I  have  often  in- 
dulged them  for  a  time,  and  at  length,  yielding  to  the  belief  that 
I  was  wrong  in  giving  place  to  them,  would  confess  them,  and 
undergo  with  cheerfuloess  such  new  penances' as  I  was  loaded 
with.  Others  too  would  occasionally  entertain  and  privately  ex- 
press such  doubts ;  though  we  had  all  been  most  solemnly  warn- 
ed by  the  cruel  murder  of  Saint  Frances.  Occasionally  some  of 
the  nuns  would  go  further,  and  resist  the  restraints  of  punish- 
ments imposed  upon  them ;  and  it  was  not  uncommon  to  hear 
screams,  sometimes  of  a  most  piercing  and  terrific  kind,  from  nuns 
suffering  under  discipline. 

Some  of  my  readers  may  feel  disposed  to  exclaim  against  me, 
for  believing  things  which  will  strike  them  as  so  monstrous  and 
abominaUto.  To  such,  I  would  say,  without  pretending  to  jus- 
tify myself, — you  know  little  of  the  position  in  which  I  was  plac- 
ed; in  the  firstplace,  ignorant  of  any  other  religious  doctrines, 
and  in  the  second,  met  at  every  moment  by  some  ingenious  argu- 
ment, and  the  example  of  a  large  community,  who  received  all 
the  instructions  of  the  priests  as  of  Undoubted  truth,  and  prac- 
tised upon  them.  Of  the  variety  and  speciousness  of  the  argu- 
ments used,  you  cannot  have  any  correct  idea.  They  were  often 
so  ready  with  replies,  examples,  anecdotes,  and  authorities,  to  en- 
force their  doetnnes,  that  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  they  could  never 
have  learnt  it  all  from  books,  but  must  have  been  taught  by  wick- 
ed spirits.  Indeed,  when  I  refiect  upon  their  conversations,  I  am 
astonished  at  their  art  and  address,  and  find  it  difficult  to  account 

E 


■■"  1 


!,>. 


V, 


66         AvM  Ittfotaiiifli  of  liB^ 

i<k  their  nibtltty  aod  iivmms  ia  iafliMtiaiiit  mj  ndad.  and  p«r. 
•aading  m«  to  anytbiag  thej  plsMwd.  It  Meint  to  mo  UMthiid- 
ly  fmyoody  woula  W  safe  in  woir  bands.  If  yoa  were  to  go  to 
oonleiiion  twioOj  X  belioTo  yon  would  fed  very  differant  from 
wbat  yon  do  now.  They  have  ineb  a  way  of  aToidiog  onethiifg 
and  q>eabing  of  anothf  r,  of  ai&rming  this,  and  doubting  and  dia- 
pntinff  that,  of  quoting  autboritiee,  and  epeaking  of  woaden  ura 
miraciea  recently  performed,  in  oonflrmanon  of  what  they  teaeh, 
as  familiarly  known  to  persona  whom  they  oall  by  nam^  ana 
whom  they  pretend  to  oner  as  witnesses,  though  they  noTer  gi«e 
yon  an  opportunity  to  speak  with  them,— these,  and  many  other 
means,  they  use  in  snob  a  way,  that  they  always  blinded  my  mind, 
andi  I  ihoiud  think,  would  Uind  the  minds  of  others. 

OHAFTEB  XYI. 

Trsatm«nt  of  young  Inlluits  in  the  Oonrent— TalUng  In  Bleep— Amosemanli 
— Oeiemonles  at  the  puhUo  Interment  of  deoeaaed  Nuns— fiadden  dieee- 

Eurance  of  the  Old  Superior— Introduction  of  flie  neir  one— 8upMra>> 
n— Alann  of  a  nun— Diflonlty  of  Oommnnioation  with  othv  Nuns* 

It  wiU  be  reoolleoted,  that  I  was  informed  immediately  after  r^ 
oeiving  the  reil,  that  infants  were  oooasionally  murdered  in  the 
Gonyeut.  I  was  one  day  in  the  nun's  private  siok  room,  whml 
bad  an  opportfii^ty  unsought  for,  of  witnessing  deeds  of  suoh  a 
nature.  It  wluat  perhaps,  a  month  after  the  death  of  St  Frances. 
Two  little  twin  babes,  the  ohildren  of  St.  Oatherine,  were  brought 
to  a  priesi^  who  was  in  the  room^  for  baptism.  I  was  present  wmis 
the  oercmony  was  performed,  with  tiie  Superior  and  seyeral  of 
the  old  nuns,  wbose  xuunes  I  neyer  knew,  tbey  being  ealled  Ma 
tante  (Aunt.) 

The  priests  took  turns  in  attendmg  to  confession  and  oateohism 
in  the  OouTent,  usually  three  months  at  a  time,  though  sometimes 
longer  periods.  The  priest  then  on  duty  was  Ff^cr  Latkin.  He 
is  a  good-looking  European,  and  has  a  brother  who  is  a  Professor 
in  the  Goliege.  He  first  put  oil  upon  the  heads  of  the  infants,  as 
is  the  custom  before  baptiism.  When  he  bad  baptia^  the  ohildren, 
they  were  taken,  one  after  another,  by  one  of  the  old  nuns,  in  the 

Sresence  of  us  all.  She  prensed  her  band  upon  the  mouth  and 
lOse  of  the  first  80  tight  that  it  could  not  foeatha,  and  in  a  few" 
minutes,  when  the  hand  was  removed,  it  was  deed.  I^e  titou 
took  the  other,  and  treated  it  in  the  same  way.  No  sound  was 
beard,  and  both  the  children  wera  corpses.  The  greatest  indiftV'* 
enoe  was  shown  by  all  present  during  this  operation ;  for  aU^  as  I 
well  knew,  were  long  accustomed  to  such  scenes.  The  little  bo> 
£es  were  then  taken  into  the  oellax,  thrown  into  th»pitIhaTe 
mentioned,  and  covered  with  a  quantity  of  lime. 

I  afterwards  saw  a  new-bom  infant  treated  in  the  same  man* 
aer,  in  the  same  place  ;  but  the  actors  in  this  scene  I  choose  not 
to  name,  nor  the  circumstances}  as  everf  thing  connected  vritb  it 
is  of  a  peculiarly  trying  and  painful  name  to  my  own  feelisf  s. 

These  were  the  only  uistanoesd!  infantidde  I  witness^ ;  and 
it  seemed  to  be  merely  owing  to  ac<)idiiit  that  I  was  then  present. 
So  far  as  I  know  there  were  no  pains  taken  to  psescffve  aeoraoy 
on  this  subject;  that  is,!  saw  no  attempt  made  to  keef  any  in^ 
mate  of  the  Oonvent  in  ignorance  of  the  murder  of  the  ohildren. 
On  the  oontrary,  othart  wan  told,  as  well  as  my  sell  on  tiujlr  i\rp(| 
admission  as  veiled  nuns,  that  all  iafanttbomiatfai  plaoaiii\ii 


W 


I 
I 

1 

8 

a 
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tl 

P 

« 
ai 

tl 
o( 
h 
ai 
tl 
ai 

fl 


iirM  Bisolosiins  of  luda  llimL 


67 


a  the 

and 

fsvr* 

tbett 

was 

asl 
ebo- 
ha,i9 


m^ 


ilk* 
dren* 


t»ptiMdftiidklllaa.irithoatlonoftiiM;  «iidlluidbe«i  mUsA 
(o  witetM  ths  maraer  of  th*  thrM Jaifc  mentioiMd,  only  Imcnuim 
I  happened  to  be  in  the  toom  at  tbe  time. 

Itiat  othen  were  killed^  in  the  aame  manner,  dating  my  itay  la 
the  nnnnery,  I  am  well  assiured. 

How  many  thefe  were  I  oannot  tall,  and  haTing  taken  no  ao- 
eotant  of  thoM  I  heard  df  ,  I  cannot  tpeak  with  preoiaion ;  I  be- 
Uere,  however,  that  I  learnt  throngh  none,  that  at  least  aehteen 
or  twenty  infante  were  imothered,  and  Moretiy  buried  in  the  eel" 
lar,  while  I  wai  a  nun. 

One  of  the  efleote  qf  the  wearineu  of  our  bodies  and  minds, 
wii  our  pronenese  to  talk  in  our  deep.  It  was  both  ludiorous  and 
painful  to  hear  the  nuns  repeat  their  prayers  in  the  oourse  of  the 
night,  as  they  freqamtly  did  in  their  dreams.  Bequired  to  keep 
onrnunds  oont'nually  on  the  stretob,  both  in  watching  our  oon> 
duct,  in  remtimbering'the  rules  and  our  prayers,  under  the  fear 
of  ttie  consequences  of  any  neglect,  when  we  closed  our  eyes  in 
sleep,  we  often  went  over  again  the  scenes  of  the  day ;  and  it  was 
ao  uncommon  thing,  for  me  to  hear  a  nun  repeat  cme  or  two  of 
her  long  exercises  m  the  dead  of  the  night.  Sometimes  by  the 
titne  she  had  finished,  another,  in  a  different  part  of  the  room, 
would  happen  to  take,  a  similar  turn,  and  commence  a  similar  re« 
citation ;  and  I  have  known  cases  in  which  several  such  unoon> 
sdous  exercises  were  performed,  all  within  an  hour  or  two. 

We  had  now  and  then  a  recreation  day,  when  we  were  relieved 
from  qnr  customary  labour,  and  from  all  prayers  except  th6se  for 
morning  and  evening,  and  the  short  ones  said  at  every  striking 
of  the  clock.  The  greater  part  of  our  time  was  then  occupied 
with  different  games,  particularly  backgammon  and  draughts,  and 
in  such  conversation  as  did  not  relate  to  our  past  lives,  and  the 
outside  of  the  Oonvent.  Sometimes,  however,  our  sports  Would 
be  intenupted  on  such  days  by  the  entrance  of  one  of  the  priests, 
who  would  come  in  aSxA  propose  that  his  Ute,  the  birthday  of  his 
patron  saint,  shouldbe  kept  by  " the  saints."    We  saints  1 

Several  nuns  died  at  different  times  while  I  was  in  the  Oon- 
vent ;  how  many,  I  cannot  say,  but  there  was  a  considerable 
nnmber.  I  might  rather  say  many  in  proportion  to  the  number 
in  the  nunndry.  The  proportion  of  deaths  I  am  sore  was  very 
'  large.  There  were  always  some  in  the  nuns'  sick-room,  and  sev- 
eral interments  took'  place  in  the  chapel. 

When  a  Black  Niin  is  dead,  the  corpse- is  dx-essed  as  if  living, 
and  placed  in  the  chapel  in  a  sitting  posture,  within  the  railing 
rooad  the  altar,  with  a  book  in  hand  as  if  reading.  Persons  aro 
then  freely  admitted  from  the  street,  and  some  of  them  read  and 
pray  before  it.  No  particular  notoriety  is  given,  I  believe,  to  this 
exhibition  out  of  the  Oonvent,  but  sudha  case  usually  excites  some 
attention.  «  ■ 

The  living  nana  are  fequired  to  say  prayers  for  the  delivery  of 
their  deceased  sister  from  purgatory,  being  informed,  as  in  all 
other  sneh  cases,  that  if  she  is  not  there,  and  has  no  need  of  our 
interoeisian,  our  prayers  are  in  no  danger  of  beina  thrown  away , 
as  fkey  will  be  set  down  to  the  account  of  some  ol  our  deceased 
fdendh,  ot  at  least  to  ttiat  of  the  souls  which  have  no  acquaint- 
anoei  to  pray  for  them.' 

It  wia  eustomary  lor  us  ocotaimially  to  kneel  before  a  dead  nun 
fhtta  seated  in  the  eha^^  and  I  have  often  parfomed  that  task. 
Itwatatwaytpainfalffor  the  ghastly  oou&teaance  being 


n 


9&        iwM  Bifldosures  of  lEaiia  UbsL 

(         .        - 

whenevw  I  mlied  my  ajw,  and  fh«  i&iXtag  that  the  podttoa  and 
4resf  were  entirely  opposed  tOvOTery  idea  of  propriety  in  euoh  a 
oaae,  always  made  me  melancholy. 

The  Saperior  sometimes  left  the  Oonvent,  and  was  absent  for 
an  hour,  or  soTeral  hours  at  a  time,  but  we  never  knew  of  it  until 
she  bad  returned,  and  were  not  informed  where  she  had  been.  I 
one  day  had  reason  io  presume  that  nhe  had  recently  paid  a  visit 
to  the  priests*  farm,  though  I  had  cc  direct  evidence  that  such 
^ras  the  fact.  The  priests'  farm  ie  a  fine  tract  of  land  beloagiag 
to  the  Seminary,  a  little  distance  froji  '^he  city,  near  the  Lachine 
road,  with  a  lar^e  old-fashioned  «ic  ific  -j  upon  it.  I  happened  to 
be  in  the  Superior's  room  on  the  day  alluftod  to,  when  she  made 
some  remark  on  the  plainness  and  poverty  pf  her  furniture.  I 
replied  that  she  was  not  proud,  and  coidd  not  be  dissatisfied  on 
that  account :  she  answered, — "  Ko :  but  if  I  was.  Low  much  su- 
perior is  the  furniture  at  the  priests'  farm;  the  poorest  room 
there  is  furnished  better  than  the  best  of  mine." 

Twas  one  day  mending  the  fire  in  the  Superior's  room,  when  a 

Eriest  was  conversing  with  her  on  the  scarcitjr  of  money ;  and  I 
card  him  say  that  very  little  money  was  received  by  the  priests 
ioT  prayers,  but  that  the  principal  part  came  with  penances  and 
absoluuons. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  and  unaccouu table  things  that 
happened  in  tb«i  Convent,  was  the  disappearance  of  the  old  Supe« 
nor.  She  had  performed  her  customary  part  during  the  day,  and 
had  acted  and  appeared  just  as  usual.  She  had  shown  no  syinp- 
toms  of  ill  health,  met  with  no  particular  difficulty  in  conducting 
business,  and  no  agitation,  anxiety,  or  gloom  had  been  noticed  in 
her  conduct.  We  nad  no  reason  to  suppose  that  during  that  day 
she  had  expected  anything  particulsf  to  occur,  any  more  than  the 
rest  of  us.  After  the  dose  of  our  customary  labours  and  evening 
lectures,  she  dismissed  us  to  retire  to  bed.  exactly  in  her  usual 
manner.  The  next  morning  the  bell  rang,  we  sprang  from  our 
beds,  hurried  on  our  clothes  as  usual,  and  proceeded  to  the  oom- 
munity-room  in  double  line,  to  commence  the  morning  exerdses. 
There,  to  our  surprise,  we  found  Bishop  Lartique ;  but  the  Supe- 
rior was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  The  Biwop  soon  addressed  ui^  m- 
stead  of  her,  and  informed  us,  that  a  lady  near  him,  whom  he 
presented  to  us,  was  now  the  Superior  of  the  Convtmt,  and  en- 
joined upon  us  the  same  respect  and  obedience  which  we  paid  to 
her  predecessor. 

The  lady  he  introduced  to  us  was  one  of  our  oldest  nuns,  Saint 
Du***,  a  very  Inrge,  fleshy  woman,  with  swelled  limbs,  which 
rendered  her  very  uow  in  walking,  and  often  gave  her  great  dis- 
tress. Not  a  word  was  dropped  from  which  we  could  conjecture 
the  cause  of  this  change,  nor  of  the  fate  of  the  old  Superior.  I 
took  the  first  opportunity  to  inquire  of  one  of  the  nuns,  whom  I 
dued  to  talk  to,  wLat  had  become  of  her;  but  I  fuuna  them  as 
ignorant  as  myself,  though  suspicious  that  she  had  been  murder- 
ed by  order  of  the  Bishop.  Never  did  I  obtain  any  light  on  her 
mysterious  disappearance.  I  am  confident,  however,  that  if  the 
Bishop  wished  to  get  rid  of  her  privately,  and  by  foul  means,  he 
had  ample  opportttuities  and  power  at  ms  commiOid.  Jane  Bay, 
as  usual,  could  not  alh>w  such  an  occurrence  to  pass  by  without 
intimating  her  own  suspicions  more  plainly  than  any  onbar  of  the 
nuns  womd  have  dared  to  do.  She  spoke  out  one  day  in  the  com- 
aiQnity*room,  and  said,  **  Fm  going  to  have  a  hunt  in  the  orilas 
fox  flB^  old  Superior." 


i 


u 


Iwft*  BiBQioBilrai  of  Miuia  MmJe.        (Ml 

**  Hiidi,  Jane  Bay  I"  ezolaimad  lomo  of  the  nana,  **  yonll  be 
panidMd.'' 

^''My  mother  need  to  teT.  me."  r^^Hed  Jane,  **  neTerto  ba  airaid 
ofthslaoeofman." 

li  cannot  be  thought  itrange  that  we  were  saperstitiom.  Some 
wwe  more  eaiMy  terrified  than  others  by  nnacooaatable  lighta 
and  eoanda;  but  all  of  us  belieyed  in  the  power  and  ocoaeional 
appearance  of  spirits,  and  were  ready  to  look  for  them  at  almost 
any  time.  I  have  seen  sereral  instances  of  alarm  oaosed  by  such 
snperstitbn,  and  hare  experienced  it  myself  more  than  once.  I 
was  one  day  sitting  mendrnj^  aprons^  beside  one  of  the  old  nuns, 
inthe  community-room,  while  the  htanies  were  repeating:  aai 
was  Tory  easv  to  laugh,  Saint  Ignace,  or  Agnes,  (^e  iUfValked 
np  to  her  with  much  agitation,  and  began  to  whisper  in  her  ear. 
She  usually  talked  but  little,  and  that  made  me  more  curious  to 
know  what  was  the  matter.  I  overl^eard  her  say  to  the  old  nun, 
in  much  alarm,  that  in  the  cellar  from  which  she  had  just  ratnm* 
ed,  she  had  heard  the  most  dreadful  groans  that  ever  came  from 
any  human  b^ng.  This  was  enough  to  give  me  uneasineM..  I 
could  not  account  for  the  appearance  of  an  eyil  spirit  in  any 
part  of  the  Convent,  for  I  had  been  assured  ttiat  the  only  one 
CTcr  known  there  was  that  of  the  nun  who  had  died  with  an  un- 
oonfessed  sin ;  and  that  others  were  kept  at  a  distance  by  the 
holy  water  that  was  rather  profusely  used  in  different  parts  of  the 
nunnery.  Still,  I  presumed  that  the  sounds  heard  by  Saint  Ig- 
nace must  have  proceeded  from  some  devil,  and  X  felt  great  dread 
at  the  thought  of  visiting  the  cellar  again.  I  determined  to  seek 
fuither  information  of  the  terrified  nun,  but  when  I  addressed 
heron  the  subject,  at  tecreation-time,  the  first  opportunity! 
could  find,  she  replied,  that  I  was  always  trying  to  make  her 
break  silence,  and  walked  off  to  another  group  in  the  room,  so  that 
I  could  obtain  no  satisfaction. 

It  is  remarkable  that  in  our  nunnery,  we  were  almost  entirely 
cut  off  from  the  means  of  knowing  any  thinpr  even  of  each  other. 
There  were  manv  nuns  whom  I  know  nothing  of  to  this  day,  af* 
ter  having  been  la.  the  same  rooms  with  tb&iu  every  day  and  night 
for  four  years.  There  was  a  nun,  whom  1  supposed  to  be  in  tha 
Oonvent,  and  whom  I  was  anxious  to  learn  sombthing  abdUtfrom 
the  Mine  of  my  entrance  as  a  novice ;  but  I  never  was  able  to 
leant  anything  concerning  her,  not  even  whether  she  was  in  the 
nunnerv  or  not,  whether  alive  or  dead.  She  was  the  dau($hter  of 
a  rich  family,  residing  at  Point  aux  Trembles,  of  whom  I  had 
heatd  my  mother  speak  before  I  outerad  the  Oonvent.  The  name 
of  her  family  I  think  was  Lafayette,  and  she  was  thought  to  be 
from  Europe.  She  was  known  to  have  token  the  Black  Yeil ;  but 
as  I  was  not  acquainted  with  the  Saint  she  had  assumed,  and  I 
could  not  descnbe  her  in  "  the  world,"  all  my  inquiiies  and  bb- 
servittions  proved  entirely  in  vain. 

I  had  heard  before  my  entrance  into  the  Oonvent,  that  one  of 
the  nuns  had  made  her  escape  fijm  it  during  the  last  war,  and 
once  inquired  about  her  of  the  Superior.  She  admitted  that  such 
was  the  fact :  but  I  was  never  able  to  learn  any  particulars  oon- 
oeming  her  name,  origin,  or  manner  of  escape. 


n 


i«M  UidosiDM  a  ;fula  Dnki 


#■ 


OHAFTEIBZVIL 

DiMppauiBM  of  mm*— 3».  Pi«m— Oagt— Kbr  tcmponrr  ooMltiittmtBt  In 
ft  mU— Thft  oholeift  OMson^Hoir  to  aToid  Ife— Oooifpatloni  in  th*  Oon- 
Tint  daring  the  pettiienob  -Mtaufiustn  «■»  of  wuc  eandlM— Th*  •leottoa 
xioto— Alann  ftinoog  the  nnni— Pr^pwvtions  tn  doAmoa— Pmuumm. 

X  AM  nnnbU  to  lay  b<^«7  many  nuoi  disappeared  while  I  was  itt 
the  OonTeat  Therd  were  seTdval.  Oue  wat-a  yoang  lady  «)|tUed 
St.  Pierre,  I  think,  but  am  not  certain  of  her  name.  Ther^^  woM 
two  nnni  Dy  tUa  name.  I  had  known  her  as.  a  aovfoe  witti  nke. 
She  had  Men  a  noyioe  about  two  year^  imd  a  hilt  before  I  ^)o« 
oame  one.  She  was  rather  large  mthoat  Iniiing  itdh  nnd  ha&  i-a- 
ther  dark  hair  and  eyes.  She  disappeareil  anaoou)2:6ablT,  and 
nothing  wi'ji  said  of  ner  except  whati  iUeard  in  whispors  frrmi  a 
few  of  the  unni,  as  we  found  moments  when  we  oonld  «pe»^!;  an' 
obserred. 

SoR!9  told  lae  they  thouK^^i  iJbe  mnst  haftt  left  fhe  Oonvenf ; 
and  1  mig?it  have  saopossd  so,  bad  I  not  some  time  after\vcird» 
found  some  of  Lor  thl.*  -6;  lytnp  aboat,  which  she  would,  in  snt)h  & 
case,  doubMess  have  tt !;  ::n]  mfh  her>  1  had  never  known  My* 
thing  more  of  her  than  wl<af.  1  mvld  oI>36rve  or  conjecture.  I  had 
alwt^s,  however,  the  idea  vHAt  her  parents  or  friends  were  weal« 
thy,  for  she  sometimes  tdCvfii'  :d  clothes  and  other  things  which 
were  vory  rich. 

Another  nun  nam«3d  Bb.  Paul,  died  suddenly,  but  as  in  ofhe? 
cases,  we  knew  so  little,  or  rather  were  so  entirely  ignorant  of  the 
cause  and  drcumstanoes,  that  we  could  only  conjecture;  and  bs- 
ing  forbidden  to  spe&k  freely  upon  that  or  any  other  subject, 
iJiought  little  about  it.  I  have  mentioned  that  a  number  of  veil- 
e^  nuns  thus  myetariously  disappeared  during  my  residence 
a&ong  them.  I  canaot  perhaps  recall  them  all,  out  I  am  oonfi- 
d»nt  there  were  as  many  as  five,  and  I  think  mor6.  All  that  we 
knew  in  such  cases  was,  that  one  of  our  number  who  appeared  as 
usual  wi. -.>n  last  observed,  was  nowhere  to  be  se^  and  never  seen 
again.— Mad  Jane  Bay,  on  several  such  occasions,  would  indulge 
in  her  bold,  and,  as  we  thought,  dangerous  remarks.  She  hid 
intimated  that  some  of  those,  who  had  been  for  some  time  in  the 
Ocnvent,  were  by  some  means  removed  to  make  room  for  new 
ones ;  and  it  was  generally  the  fact  that  the  disapj^gsarande  of  one 
and  the  intrpdnction  of  another  into  our  community,  were  near- 
ly at  the  same  time.  I  have  repeatedly  heard  J4ne  lUy  say,  with 
one  of  her  signifloant  looks,  "When  you  appear,  somebody  else 
disaiipears  l**^ 

It  is  unpleasant  enough  to  distress  or  torturi  one's  self;  but 
there  is  something  worse  in  being  tormented  by  others,  especially 
when  they  resort  to  force,  and  show  a  pleasure  in  compeUmg  you, 
and  leave  you  no  hope  to  escape,  or  opportunity  to  resist.  1  had 
seenihe  gags  repeatiBdlv  in  use,  and  sometimef  applied  with  a 
roughness  which  seemed  rather  inhuman ;  but  it  is  one  thing  to 
see  and  another  thing  to  feel.  They  were  ready  to  recommend  a 
resort  to  compulsory  measuree^  and  ever  ready  to  rt&n  for  the 
gags.  These  were  kept  in  one  of  the  oommunity-rooms.  In  a 
drawer  between  two  closets;  and  there  a  stock  of  about  fifty  of 
them  were  always  kept  in  deposit.  Sometimes  a  ^umber  of  nunt 
would  pro  vajefiaetory  at  a  tinm;  and  I  have  seen  battles  oom- ' 
menoed  in  wnidh  several  appeared  on  botii  sides.  The  disobedient 


i^-m 


[ 


It^  IHiddBara  of  Ibuda  Ibnlb 


71 


,    r 


wtttt,  liow«nr«r,  aoon  oravpowiMd ;  aadi  to  pnrrant  fhair  mtmubu 
being  heard  bejond  th«  wftUi)  gagglns  oommenoad  immadutely. 
I  \an%  Men  haU  a  doien  lying  gaggaa  and  bound  at  onoa. 

I  haTa  been  aubjected  to  the  same  itate  of  inTolnntaiy  ^enoa 
aunra  than  onoa ;  for  lometimea  I  became  exdted  to  a  itaca  of  dea- 
perationbyttw  maaauret  used  againtt  ma,  and  than  oondnotod 
myidf  in  a  manner  perhaps  not  lets  Tiolant  tiian  loma  othert. 
.^"^  hands  have  been  tied  behind  ma,  and  a  gag  put  into  my 
Aonth,  sometimes  with  saoh- force  and  mdwiessaa  to  separate  my 
Upa,  and  canaa  the  blood  to  flow  freely. 

Treatment  of  this  kind  is  apt  to  teach  sabmission ;  and  many 
ilmas  I  have  acquiesced  under  orders  reoeiyed,  or  wishes  express- 
cd,  with  a  fear  of  a  recurrence  to  aome  severe  measures. 

One  day  I  had  incurred  the  anger  of  the  Superior  in  a  greater 
degree  than  usual,  and  it  was  oidored  that  I  should  be  taken  to 
one  of  the  cells.  I  was  taken  by  some  of  the  nuns,  bound  and 
gagged,  carried  down  the  stairs  into  the  cellar,  and  laid  upon  the 
floor.  Kot  long  afterwards  I  induced  one  ef  the  nuns  to  request 
the  Superior  to  come  down  and  see  me;  and  on  making  some  ac- 
knowledgment, I  was  released.  I  will,  however,  relate  thia  story 
rather  more  in  detail. 

On  that  day  I  had  been  engaged  with  Jane  Bay.  in  eanring 
into  effect  a  plan  of  revenge  upon  another  pers<m,  when  I  fell  un- 
der the  vindictive  spirit  of  some  of  the  old  nuns,  and  suffered  se« 
verely.  The  Superior  ordered  me  to  the  cells,  and  a  scene  of  vio- 
lence commenced  which  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe,  nor  the 
frecise  circumstances  which  led  to  it.  Suffice  it  to  say,  uat  after 
had  exhausted  all  my  strength,. by  resisting  as  long  as  I  could, 
against  several  nuns,  I  had  my  hands  drawn  behind  my  back,  a 
leathern  band  passed  first  round  my  thumbs,  then  round  my 
hands,  and  then  round  my  waist  and  fastened.  TMs  was  drawn 
ao  ti|^t  that  it  cut  through  the  flesh  of  my  thumbs,  making 
wounds,  the  scars  of  which  still  remain.  A  gag  was  then  forced 
into  my  mouth,  not  indeed  so  violently  as  it  sometimes  was,  but 
roughly  enough ;  after  which  I  was  taken  by  main  force,  and  cur- 
ried down  into  the  cellar,  across  it  almost  to  the  opposite  eztrem* 
ity,  and  brought  to  the  last  of  the  second  range  of  cells  on  tiie 
left  hand.  The  door  was  opened,  and  I  was  thrown  in  with  vio- 
lence, and  left  alone,  the  door  being  immediately  dosed,  ahd  bolt- 
^  on  the  outside.  The  bate  grouud  was  under  me,  cold  and  hard 
as  if  it  had  been  beaten  even.  I  lay  still  in  the  position  in  which 
I  had  fallen,  as  it  would  have  been  difficult  for  me  to  move,  con- 
fined as  I  Was,  and  exhausted  by  my  exertions ;  and  the  shock  of 
my  fall,  and  my  wretched  state  of  desperation  and  fear,  disinclin* 
ed  me  from  any  further  attempt.  I  i^aa  in  almost  total  darkness, 
there  being  nothing  perceptible  except  a  slight  glimmer  of  light 
which  came  in  through  tins  little  window  far  above  me. 

Ibw  long  I  remained  in  that  condition  I  can  only  conjecture. 
Itseemedtomealongtime,  andmust  have  been  two  or  three 
hours.  I  did  not  move,  expecting  to  die  there,  and  in  a  state  of 
distress  which  I  cannot  describe,  from  the  tight  bondage  about 
my  hands,  and  the  gag  holding  my  Jaws  apart  at  their  greatest 
exteation.  I  am  confident  I  most  nave  died  before  morning,  if, 
as  I  then  expected,  I  had  been  left  there  all  night.  By-and-hye, 
hows^ror,  the  bolt  waa  drawn,  the  door  opemM,  and  Jam  Bay 
spoka  to  me  in  a  tone  of  kindness.  « 

She  had  taken  an  opportuttity  to  dip  into  the  ewas  unnoticed, 


72 


Awfkil  BifldiosanB  of  IbiiA  MbnL 


on  purpose  to  see  me.  She  tmboond  the  gag,  took  it  oat  of  mf 
mouth,  end  told  me,  she  would  do  any  thing  to  get  me  out  of  the 
duuMon.  If  ehe  had  had  the  bringing  of  me  down  ahe  would 
not  nave  thruet  me  In  so  brutally,  and  ehe  would  be  resented  on 
those  who  had.  She  offered  to  throw  herself  upon  her  knees  b«* 
fore  the  Superior,  and  beg  her  forgiveness.  To  this  I  would  not 
oonsent ;  but  told  her  to  ask  the  Superior  to  come  to  me,  as  I  wish* 
ed  to  speak  to  her.  This  I  had  no  idea  she  would  condescend  toi 
do;  but  Jane  had  not  been  gone  long  b<*!ore  the  Superior  oamoy 
and  asked  if  I  repented  in  the  sight  of  Qoi  for  what  I  had  done. 
I  replied  in  the  u&rmative ;  and  after  a  lecture  of  some  length  on 
the  pain  I  had  given  the  Virgin  Mary  by  my  conduct,  she  asked 
whether  I  was  willing  to  ask  pardon  of  all  the  nuns  for  the  soan« 
dal  I  had  caused  them  by  my  behaviour.  To  this  I  made  no  ob- 
jection ;  and  I  was  then  released  from  my  prison  and  my  bonds^ 
went  up  to  the  community-room,  and  kneehng  before  all  the  sis* 
ters  in  succession,  begged  the  forgiveness  and  prayers  of  each. 

Among  the  marks  which  I  st^l  bear  of  the  wounds  received 
from  penances  and  violence,  are  the  scars  left  by  the  belt  with 
Which  I  repeatedly  tortured  myself,  for  the  mortifloation  of  my 
spirit.  These  are  most  distinct  on  my  side :  for  although  the 
band,  which  was  four  ot  five  inches  in  breadth,  and  extended 
round  the  waist,  was  stuck  full  of  sharp  iron  points  in  all  parts, 
it  was  sometimes  crowded  most  against  my  side,  bv  resting  in  my 
chair,  and  then.'the  wounds  were  usually  aeeper  were  than  any- 
where else. 

My  thumbs  were  several  times  cut  severely  by  the  tigh|  draw- 
ing of  the  band  used  to  confine  my  arms ;  and  scars  are  still  vi- 
sible upon  them. 

The  rough  gagging  which  I  several  times  endured  wounded  my 
lips  very  much ;  for  it  was  common,  in  that  operation,  to  thrust 
the  gag  hard  against  the  teeth,  and  catch  one  or  both  the  lips, 
which  were  sometimes  cruelly  cut.  The  object  was  to  stop  the 
screams  made  by  the  offender,  as  soon  as  possible ;  and  some  of 
the  old' nuns  deughted  in  tormenting  us.  A  gag  was  once  forced 
into  my  mouth,  which  had  a  large  splinter  upon  it ;  and  this  out 
through  my  under  lip,  in  front,  leaving  to  this  day  a  scar  about 
half  an  inch  long.  The  same  lip  was  several  times  wonnded  as 
well  as  the  other;  but  one  day  worse  than  ever,  when  a  narrow 
piece  was  cut  off  from  the  left  side  of  it,  by  being  pinched  b** 
tween  the  gag  aiad  the  under  fore-teeth ;  and  this  has  left  an  in- 
equality in  it  which  is  still  very  observable. 

One  of  the  most  shocking  stories  I  heard,  of  events  that  occur- 
red in  the  nunnery  before  my  acquaintance  with  it,  was  the  fol- 
lowing, which  was  told  me  by  Jane  Bay.  What  h  uncommuu,  I 
can  fix  the  date  when  I  heaid  it.  It  was  on  New  Year's  Day, 
1884.  The  ceremonies,  customary  in  the  early  part  of  that  day, 
had  been  performed ;  after  mass,  in  the  morning,  the  Superior 
had  shaken  hands  with  all  the  nuns,  and  given  us  her  blesshig, 
for  die  was  said  to  have  received  power  from  heaven  to  do  so  onoe 
a  year,  and  then  on  the  first  day  of  the  year.  Besides  this,  oakes^ 
raisins,  ftc,  are  distribnted  to  the  nuns  on  that  day. 

While  in  the  oommunity-room,  I  had  taken  a  seat  just  within 
the  oupboard-door,  where  I  often  fonnd  a  partisl  shelter  from  ob« 
serrauon  with  Jane,  when  a  conversation  Incidentally  befam  be- 
tween ns.  Our  practice  often  was,  to  take  places  there  bende  one 
of  the  old  nuns,  fiwaiting  the  time  when  she  would  go  away  iw  • 


1 


ItM  msdonim  of  Ifaitt  Monki 


7» 


' 


tfttb  whilt^  and  leavt  oi  partially  Mnaned  from  lh«  obMrfatton 
of  others.  On  that  oocaiioii,  Jane  and  I  wero  left  for  a  tima 
alone ;  when,  after  aome  diaoonne  on  raioide,  ahe  remarked  that 
three  nana  onoe  killed  themieWes  in  the  Oonrent.  This  happen- 
ed, she  said,  not  long  after  her  reoeptioc,  and  I  knew,  therefore, 
that  it  was  ssTeral  yeara  before  I  had  become  a  novice.    Three 

Sonng  ladies,  she  informed  me,  took  the  Teil  together,  or  very  near 
lie  same  time,  I  am  not  certain  which.  I  know  they  haye  foot 
robes  in  the  OonTent,  to  be  worn  during  the  ceremony  of  taking 
the  Teil :  bat  I  never  have  seen  more  than  one  of  them  nsed  at  • 
time. 

Two  of  the  new  nuns  were  laters,  and  the  other  their  oondn. 
They  had  been  received  but  a  few  days,  when  information  was 
given  one  morning,  that  they  had  been  found  dead  in  their  beds, 
amid  a  profusion  of  blood.  Jane  Bay  said  she  saw  their  corpses, 
and  that  they  appeared  to  £ave  killed  themselves  by  opening  veins 
in  their  arms  with  a  knife  they  had  obtained,  and  all  had  bled  to 
death  together.  What  was  extraordinary,  Jane  Bay  added,  that 
she  had  heard  no  noise,  and  she  believed  nobody  had  suspected 
that  anything  was  wrong  during  the  night.  St.  Hypolite,  how* 
ever,  had  stated,  that  she  had  found  them  in  the  morning,  after 
the  other  nuns  had  gone  to  prayers,  lying  lifeless  in  their  beds. 

For  some  reason  or  other,  th^  death  was  not  madepubliQ;  but 
their  bodies,  instead  of  being  exhibited  in  full  dress,  in  the  cha- 
pel, and  afterwards  interred  with  solemnity  beneath  it,  were  taken 
unceremoniously  into  the  cellar,  and  thrown  into  the  hole  I  have 
so  often  mentioned* 

There  were  a  few  instances,  and  only  a  few,  in  which  we  knew 
anything  that  was  happening  in  the  world ;  and  even  then  our 
knowledge  did  not  extmid  out  of  the  dty.  I  can  recall  but  three 
occasions  of  this  kind.  Two  of  them  were  when  the  cholera  too- 
vailed  in  Montreal ;  and  the  other  was  the  election  riots.  The 
appearance  of  the  cholera,  in  both  seasons  of  its  ravages,  gave  us 
abundance  of  occupation.  Indeed,  we  were  more  borne  down  by 
hard  labour  at  those  times,  than  ever  before  or  afterwards  daring 
my  stay.  The  Pope  had  given  early  notice  that  the  burning  of 
wax  candles  would  afford  protection  from  the  disease,  because,  so 
long  as  anv  person  continued  to  bum  one,  the  Virgin  Maiy  would 
intercede  for  hini.  No  sooner,  therefor^  had  the  alarmmg  dis- 
ease made  its  appearance  in  Montreal,  than  a  long  wax  candid 
was  lighted  in  the  Oonvent,  for  each  of  the  inmatM,  so  that  all 

? arts  of  it  in  use  were  artificially  illuminated  day  and  night, 
'hus  a  great  many  candles  were  constantly  burning,  which  wer» 
to  be  replaced  from  those  manufactured  by  the  nuns.  But  this 
was  a  tnfle;  The  Pope's  message  having  been  promulgated  in 
the  Grey  Nunnery,  and  to  Oatholics  at  large  thrpueh  the  pulpit, 
an  extraordinary  dfemand  was  created  for  wax  candles,  to  sui^ly 
which  we  were  principally  depended  upon.  All  who  could  pos- 
sibly be  emp:  ^yed  in  malong  them  were,  therefore,  set  to  wmrk, 
and  I,  among  the  rest,  assisted  u^  different  departments^  and  wit- 
nessed all. 

Numbers  of  the  nuns  had  long  been  familiar  with  the  buriness ; 
for  a  very  considerable  amount  of  wax  had  been  annually  manu- 
factured in  the  CSonveut ;  but  now  the  works  were  much  extend- 
ed, and  other  occupations  in  a  great  degree  laid  aside.  Large 
qiHuititlea  of  wax  were  receiveaf  in  the  building,  whioh  waa  said 
to  have  been  imported  from  England;  kettles  were  placed  iu 


74         iwM  BbdoiQiai  of  Inla  IbnL 

•oat  of  flM  iroffkhigwfooim,  la  wbldi  it  wm  oIwUM  hfhmH 
OTor  •oal  fliw,  ud.  when  pftp«>ed,  the  pioww  ol  dipfincoom* 
BMDOtd.  The  wiiae,  whhih  were  qvite  long,  were  j^Med,  uiiff- 
ing  apon  %  feel,  taken  an  end  dipped  in  tneoeeeioB,  nnnl  nner 
Biany  ilow  reToioUone  of  the  red,  Um  oendlee  were  of  the  proper 
■lie.  They  were  then  taken  to  a  part  of  the  room  where  taUet 
wei«  prepared  for  roUing  them  anooth.  Thli  is  done  by  paaring 
ft  roller  OTor  them,  antUT  they  beoame  eren  and  polished;  after 
whidi  ther  are  laid  by  for  sale.  These  processes  eausedaoon* 
stent  bustle  in  ssTsral  of  the  rooms;  and  the  melaneholy  reports 
from  without,  of  the  raTages  of  the  oholera,  with  the  uncertainty 
of  what  might  be  the  relult  with  us,  notwithstanding  the  promis- 
ed interoesiion  of  the  Virgin,  and  the  brilliant  lights  constantly 
burning  in  such  numbers  aroand  us,  imtoressed  the  scenes  I  used 
to  witness  very  deeply  on  my  bind.  I  had  very  little  doubt,  my- 
•tUL  of  the  strict  truth  of  the  story  we  had  heard  abont  the  se- 
curity conferred  upon  those  who  burnt  candles,  and  yet  I  some- 
times had  serious  fears  arise  in  my  mind.  These  thoughts,  how- 
eyer,  I  did  my  utmost  to  fegard  as  great  sins,  and  oTidenoee  of 
my  own  want  of  faith. 

It  was  during  that  period  that  I  formed  a  partial  aeqnaintanee 
with  seyeral  Orey  Nuns,  who  used  to  come  frequentlv  for  sup- 
plies of  candles  for  their  Convent.  I  had  no  opportunity  to  eon- 
verse  with  them,  except  so  far  as  the  purchase  and  sale  of  the  ar- 
ticles they  required.  Fbecame  familiar  with  their  countenanOes 
and  appearanoes,  but  was  unable  to  indire  of  their  characters  or 
feelings.  Oouceraing  the  rules  and  nabits  pretailing  in  the  Qrey 
Nunnery,  I  therefore  remained  as  ignorant  as  if  I  had  been  a 
thousand  miles  off ;  and  they  had  no  better  opportunity  to  learn 
anything  of  us,  beyond  what  they  could  see  around  them  in  the 
room  where  the  caudles  were  sold. 

We  supplied  the  Oongregational  Nunnery  also  t^ith  wax  can- 
dles, as  I  before  remarked ;  and  in  both  these  institutions,  it  was 
understood,  a  constant  illumination  #as  kept  up.  Oiticens  were 
also  frequently  running  in  to  buy  candles  in  great  and' small 
quantities,  so  that  the  business  of  store-keeping  was  far  more  la- 
borious than  oommon. 

We  were  confirmed  in  our  ftdth  in  the  intercession  of  the  Yir- 
gin,  when  we  found  that  we  remained  safe  from  the  oholera ;  and 
» it  a  remarkable  fact,  that  not  one  case  of  that  disease  existed 
in  the  Nunnery,  during  either  of  the  seasons  in  whidi  it  proved 
ao  fatal  in  the  city. 

'-  When  the  election  riots  prerailed  at  Montreal,  the  ei^y  was 
thrown  into  general  alarm ;  we  heard  some  reports  from  day  to 
day,  which  made  us  anxious  for  ourselves.  Nothing,  however, 
||[ave  me  any  serious  thoughts,  until  I  sa^  uncommon  movements 
m  some  pairts  of  the  Nunnery,  and  ascertained,  to  my  own  satis* 
faction,  that  there  was  a  large  quantity  of  gunpowder  stored  in' 
some  secret  place  within  the  walls,  and  that  some  of  it  was  re- 
moved, or  prepared  for  use,  under  the  direction  of  the  Superior. 

PenaHee9.—i  have  mentioned  several  penances  in  differint  parta 
of  t>  .s  narration,  which  we  sometimes  nad  to  parCojrm.  Thrae  is 
a  groat  variety  of  them ;  and.  while  some,  though  trifling  in  ap- 
peuranoe,  bCHoame  very  pdnful,  by  long  endurance  or  frequent  re- 
petition, otheial  are  severe  in  their  nature,  and  never  would  b« 
submitted  to,  unless,  through  fear  of  something  worse^  or  a  real 
belief  in  their  efficacy  to  remove  guilt.    I  will  mention  here  tmok 


«, 


iMlt 


■ag- 
iftor 

Mm 


poite 
liiity 
tmU- 
mtly 

UMd 

liow- 

M  of 

lup* 
eon- 
tear* 
inoei 
tnor 
Grey 
Ben  a 
learn 
Bthe 

can* 
was 
were 
(mall 
«la- 

Virb 

and 

isted 

ored 


ly  to 
BTor, 
lenti 
atis- 
idin 
r»- 
!<». 
>artt 
ceis 
lap* 
tre- 
dbe 
nal 


iwM  JJMomm  tf  Mfu^u  Inik 


78 


!^ 


MXfteoIlMl,whlaboaBban««td  withont  oflMding  a  vliteoM 
•ar;  fov  tooM  thevt  wu%  whkk,  allhoiigh  I  hava  baea  oompallad 
to  Mlnatt  to,  aithtt  by  a  mtolad  aonaotoooa,  or  the  lear  of  Hma 
pnnlihiiienti  now  that  I  am  batter  abla  to  Judge  of  juj  dntiei^  and 
at  liberty  to  aot,  I  would  not  mention  «t  oeeoribe. 

KiMing  the  floor  is  a  very  oommon  penaaoe ;  kaeeling  and 
kiMliif  the  feet  of  the  other  none  la  another;  aa  are  k«>ee]iDg  on 
hard  peai^  and  walking  with  them  in  the  ehott.  we  had  repeat- 
adly  to  walk  on  our  kneea  throogh  the  eabterranean  .paeeage^ 
leading  to  the  Congregational  Nunnery;  andeometimea  to  eat 
oar  mealt  with  a  n^  ronnd  onr  neeke.  Sometimea  we  were  fed 
Only  with  anoh  thinga  aa  we  moat  dialiked.  Ghurlio  waa  giTon  to 
me  on  thie  aooonnt,  oecanae  I  had  a  atrong  Antipathy  ag^oat  it. 

Bela  were  repeatedly  giran  aome  <d  na,  oecaaae  we  felt  an  an- 
eoaqaerable  repognanoe  to  them,  on  aceoant  of  reporta  we  heard 
of  their  feeding  on  dead  oareaaea  in  the  rirer  St.  Lawrence.  It 
waa  no  nnoommon  thing  for  na  to  be  required  to  driuk  the  water 
in  which  the  Superior  had  waahed  her  feet.  Sometimea  we  were, 
required  to  brand  onraelrea  with  a  hot  iron,  ao  aa  to  leave  aoara ; 
at  other  timea,  to  whip  our  naked  fleah  with  aoTeral  email  roda, 
beftne  a  private  altar,  until  we  drew  blood.  loan  aaaertrwith 
the  perfeot  knowledge  of  the  faot,  that  many  of  the  nana  bear 
the  aoara  of  theae  wouhda.- 

One  of  the  penanoea  waa  to  atand  for  a  length  of  time  with  our 
arma  extended,  in  imitation  qf  the  Saviour  on  the  Oroaa.  The 
CftemAi  de  la  erotat,  or  Bead  to  the  Oroaa,  ia,  in  faot,  a  penance^ 
though  it  oonriata  of  a  variety  of  pcoatiatioua,  with  the  repetition 
of  many  prayera,  oooupying  two  or  three  houra.  Thia  we  had  to 
perform  nequently  going  va  ohapel,  and  falling  before  each  oha- 
pelle  in  aooeeaaion,  at  each  time  commemorating  aome  partionlar 
aotor^drcnmatanoe  reported  of  the  Saviour'a  progreaa  to  the 
plaoe  of  hie  orueiflzion.  Sometimea  we  were  obliged  to  aleep  on 
the  floor  in  the  winter,  with  nothing  over  ua  but  a  aingleaheet; 
and  Bometimea  to  chew  a  pieee  of  window  glasa  to  a  fine  powder, 
in  the  preaenoe  of  the  Superior. 

We  had  aometimea  to  wear  a  leathern  belt  atnok  full  of  duftrp 
metallio  pointa,  round  our  waiata  and  the  upper  part  of  our  arma, 
bound  on  ao  tight  that  they  penetrated  the  fleah,  and  drew  blood. 

Some  of  the  pmianoea  wen  ao  aevere,  that  they  aeemed  too 
muoh  to  be  endured :  and  when  they  were  impoaed,  the  nuna  who 
were  to  anffer  them  ahowed  the  moat  Violent  repugnanee.  They 
would  often  reaiat,  and  atill  ofteAer  ezpreaa  their  oppoaition  by 
ezolamationa  and  aoreama. 

STever,  howevor,  Waa  any  noiae  heard  from  than  for  a  long 
time,  for  there  waa  a  lemedy  alwaya  ready  to  be  applied  in  caaea 
of  the  kind.  The  gag  which  waa  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  un- 
fortunate Saint  Franoea,  had  been  brought  from  a  place  where 
there  were  forty  or  fifWotheraof  different  ahapea  and  aiaea. 
Theae  I  have  aeen  in  their  depoaitory,  which  ia  a  drawer  between 
two  doaeta,  in  one  of  the  community-rooma.  Whenever  any  loud 
noiae  waa  made,  one  of  theae  inatrumenta  waa  demanded,  and 
gagging  commenced  at  once.  I  have  known  manv  inataaoea^  ud 
aometimea  five  or  aiz  nuna  gagged  at  once.  Sometimea  they 
would  beeooie  ao  much  excited  Mif  ore' they  could  be  bound  and 
mtgii,  that  oonriderable  force  waa  neceaaary  to  be  exerted ;  and 
I  have  aeen  the  blood  flowing  from  mouthaiuto  which  the  gag 
had  been  tkiruit  with  vkdencO^ 


78 


IwM  BifldlMlini  €f  Xaiift  IbnL 


lodtud  I  ought  to  know  ■omolhlnf  of  this  dopartiiiMil  of  nvn* 


B«y  diMtpUno";  Z  hmf  hmSUt  triad  apon  myMli;  and  oin  boar  wlt- 
noM  that  it  i«  not  onlr  moot  humiliatlnff  and  oppmoiTOb  bnt  oftoa 
oxtromoly  painf  nl.  Tho  month  if  kopt  forood  opon.  and  tho  ilnin* 
ing  of  the  Jaws  at  their  ntmoet  itrotoh,  for  a  oonildarable  ttmoi  ia 
nut  dieircMing. 

One  of  the  woni  punishments  whloh  I  erer  law  inflidad,  waa 
that  with  the  oap ;  and  yet  some  of  the  old  nnnt  were  permitted 
to  infliot  it  at  their  pleamire.  I  hare  repeatedly  known  them  to 
go  for  a  oap.  when  one  of  onr  number  had  tranegremed  a  mle^ 
■ometimee  though  it  were  a  Tory  unimportant  one.  These  oapo 
were  kept  in  a  cupboard  in  the  old  nuns'  room,  whence  they  were 
brought  when  wanted. 

Thev  were  small,  made  of  a  reddish  looking  leather,  fitted  olose* 

2  to  the  head,  and  fastened  under  the  chin  with  a  kind  of  buokli» 
was  the  common  praotioe  to  tie  the  nun*s  hands  behind,  and 
gag  her  before  the  oap  was  put  on,  to  prsTont  noise  and  resist- 
ance. I  nerer  saw  it  worn  by  any  one  for  a  moment,  without 
throwiuff  them  into  se?ere  sufferings.  If  permitted,  they  would 
scream  m  the  most  shocking  manner,  and  always  wriuied  as  much 
as  their  confinement  would  allow.  I  can  speak  from  personal 
knowledge  of  this  punishment,  as  I  haTO  endured  it  more  than 
once;  and  yet  I  have  no  idea  of  the  cause  of  the  pain.  I  noTer 
examined  one  of  the  caps,  nor  saw  the  inside,  for  they  are  always 
brought  and  taken  away  quickly ;  lyit  although  the  first  sensation 
was  that  of  ooolness,  it  was  hudly  put  on  my  head  before  a  Tio- 
lent  and  indiscribable  sensation  began,  like  that  of  a  blister,  only 
much  more  insupportable:  and  this  continued  until  it  was  re« 
moTed.  It  would  produce  sucK  an  acute  pain  as  to  throw  us  in* 
to  oouTulsions,  and  I  think  no  human  being  could  endure  it  for 
an  hour.  After  this  punishment,  we  felt  its  effect  through  the 
^^stem  for  many  days.  Having  once  known  what  it  was  by  ex^ 
perienoe,  I  held  the  cap  in  dread,  and  whenever  I  was  condemned 
to  suffer  the  punishment  again,  felt  ready  to  do  any  thing  to  aroid 
it.  But  when  tied  and  gagged,  with  the  cap  on  my  head  again. 
I  oould'  only  sink  upon  the  floor,  and  roll  about  in  anguish  until  it 
was  taken  off. 

This  was  usually  done  in  about  ten  minutes,  sometimes  less, 
but  the  pain  always  continued  in  my  head  for  several  days.  I 
thought  that  it  might  take  away  a  person's  reason  if  kept  on  a 
much  longer  time.  If  I  had  not  been  gagged,  I  am  sure  i  should 
have  uttwed  awful  screams.  I  have  felt  the  effects  for  a  wisek. 
Sometimes  fresh  cabbage  leaves  were  applied  to  my  head  to  re- 
move it.  Having  had  no  opportunity  to  examine  my  head,  I  con- 
not  saymore. 

C  JCAPTEB  XVni. 

niS'minlahment  of  the  Oap— The  priests  of  the  distriot  of  Moatrsal  hare 
nee  acoeas  to  the  Blaok  Nunnery— Crimes  oommittSd  ana  required  by 
them— The  Pope's  command  to  oommit  indeoent  crimes— Ohaiaeters  w 
the  old  and  new  Boperiors— The  timidily  of  the  latter— I  began  to  be 
employed  in  the  hospitale— Some  aooowit  of  thou— Warning  i^von  me 
by  a  aide  nan— Penance  of  hanging. 

Tarn  punishment  was  oooasionally  resorted  to  for  very  trifling  of- 
fences, snob  as  washing  the  hands  without  permisdon ;  and  it 
was  generally  applied  on  tha  spot^  and  bef  oca  tha  other  nuns  bi 
commonity-iooB. 


ni 


ivflil  JJIMmm  of  Maiii  Ifonb 


77 


1  bftTt  OMotioiMd  b«f ON^  fhat  th«  oonnlnr,  to  far  down  m  Um 
Thnt  BIf an,  ii  f nrniahod  with  pritite  by  tbo  8«Blnu]r  of  Ifou* 
tfMl;  and  that  thtw  handrod  and  llfiy  man  an  liabla  to  ba  oo« 
oaiionally  tvauafanad  tnm  ona  atation  to  anothar.  Nambait  of 
Iham  aM  oftan  to  ba  aean  in  tha  straata  of  Montraal»  aa  thay  mmj 
And  »  boma  in  tha  Saminary. 

Tb«y  ara  oonaidarad  aa  baring  an  aqaal  rigbt  to  antar  tha  Black 
Nannary  whanaTer  thay  plaaaa ;  and  than,  aooording  to  ouaoatha, 
thay  bavt  eomplata  oontrol  orar  tha  nnna.  To  nama  oU  tha  worka 
of  ahama  of  which  thay  ara  gnilty  in  that  ratraat,  would  raqnira 
mnch  tima  and  apaca,  naithar  would  it  ba  naoaiaary  to  tha  aooom- 
pliabmant  of  my  objact,  whioh  ia,  tha  pnbUoation  of  but  aoma  of 
thflir  oriminality  to  tha  world,  and  tha  daTalopmant.  in  ganaral 
tarma.  of  aoanaa  thus  far  oarriad  on  in  aecret  within  tha  walla  of 
that  OonTant.  whare  I  waa  ao  lopg  an  inmata. 

Saonra  againat  dateotion  l^  the  world,  thay  naTerbaliarad  thai 
an  aya-witnaaa  would  ever  aaoapa  to  tall  of  thair  crimea,  and  da- 
olaraaomaof  their  names  before  tha  world;  but  the  time  baa 
eoma,  and  aome  of  their  deeda  of  darkneia  must  oome  to  the  day. 
I  hare  aeen  in  tha  Nunnery,  tha  prieats  from  more,  I  preiome, 
than  a  hundred  oouutry  placet,  admitted  for  ihameful  and  crimi- 
nal purpoaea ;  from  St.  Charlea.  St.  Denia,  St.  Mark's,  St.  Antoine, 
Ohambly,  Bartier,  St.  John's,  ice. 

How-vaazpected  to  them  will  be  the  discloaures  I  make!  Shut 
np  in  a  plaoe  from  whioh  there  has  been  thought  to  be  but  ona 
way  of  agreas,  and  that  tha  passage  to  the  grave,  they  considered 
themsaWes  safe  in  perpetrating  crimea  in  our  presence,  and  in 
making  ul  share  in  their  criminality  aa  often  aa  tiiey  chose,  and 
oonduoted  more  shamelessly  than  eren  the  brutes. 

These  debauchees  would  come  in  withviut  ceremony,  oonoealinff 
their  namea,  both  by  tight  and  day.  Bv<)ing  within  the  walla  of 
that  priaon-house  ox  death,  where  the  criet^  and  paina  of  tha  in- 
jured innocence  of  their  victima  would  never  reach  tha  world,  for 
relief  or  redreaa  for  their  wrongs,  without  remorse  or  shame,  they 
would  glory,  not  only  in  sating  their  brutid  passions,  but  even  in 
torturing,  in  the  most  barbarous  manner,  the  feelings  of  thosa 
under  their  power;  telling  us  at  the  aama  time,  that  thia  morti- 
fying the  flesh  was  religion,  and  pleasing  to  Gk>d.  Themore  they 
could  torture  ua,  or  make  us  violate  our  own  feelings,  the  mora 
pleaaure  they  took  in  their  unclean  rerelling ;  and  all  their  brutal 
obscenity  they  called  meritorious  before  QoA. 

We  were  aometimes  invited  to  put  ourselves  to  voluntary  auf- 
feringa  in  a  variety  of  ways,  not  for  a  penance,  but  to  show  our 
devotion  to  God.    A  priest  would  sometimes  say  to  us— 

*'-Kow,  whioh  of  yon  have  love  enough  for  Jesus  Obrist  to  stick 
a  |un  through  your  cheeks  P" 

pome  of  us  would  signify  our  readiness,  and  immediately  thrust 
ona  through  up  to  the  head.  Sometimes  he  would  propose  that 
wa  dioiddrepeat  the  operation  several  times  on  the  spot ;  and  tha 
cbaaka  of  a  number  of  tha  nuna  would  be  bloody. 

Thne  wera  other  acta  occasionally  proposed  and  eonaented  to, 
whi(Ai  I  cannot  name  in  a  book.  Sucn  the  Superior  would  soma- 
tlmaa  command  us  to  perform;  many  df  them,  thinga  not  only 
Uieleaa  iand  unheard  oL  but  loathsome  and  indeeeat  in  tha  hich- 
ert  pOasibIa  degree.  How  they  ever  oould  have  been  invented,  I 
nivfr  oonld  oonoeiva.  Thinse  wera  done  worse  than  the  entire 
aarpolntt  of  the  person,  though  this  was  occasionally  required  of 
several  at  onoa  in  the  i  reaenoe  of  priests. 


78 


IwM  DlsdoBorai  of  Ifaria  Honki 


The  Sqperior  of  the  Seminaiy  woiild  sometimes  oome  uid*lo« 
form  us,  that  she  had  receiyed  order*  from  the  Pope,  to  leqaest 
that  thoseiinns  who  posselsed  the  greatest  devotion  and  faith, 
Bhon!d  he  reqaested  to  perform  some  partionlar  deeds,  which  she 
named  or  described  in  our  presence,  but  of  which  no  decent  or 
moral  person  could  ever  venture  to  speak.  I  cannot  repeat  what 
would  injure  any  ear,  not  debased  to  the  lowest  possible  degree. 
I  am  hannd  by  a  regard  to  truth,  however,  to  confess,  that  de- 
luded women  were  found  among  us,  who  would  comply  with 
their  requests. 

There  was  a  great  difference  between  the  characters  of  our  old 
and  new  Superiors,  which  soon  became  obvious.  The  former  used 
to  say  she  liked  to  walk,  because  it  would  prevent  her  from  be- 
ooming  corpulent.  She  was,  therefore,  very  active,  and  constant* 
ly  going  about  from  one  part'  of  the  Nunnery  to  another,  over- 
seeing us  at  our  various  employmeits.  I  never  saw  in  her  any 
appearance  of  timidity ;  she  seamed,  on  the  contrary,  bold  and 
masculine,  and  sometimes  much  more  than  that,  cruel  and  cold- 
blooded, in  scenes  calculated  to  overcome  any  common  person. 
Such  a  character  she  had  particularly  exhibited  at  the  murder  of 
St.  Frances. 

The  new  Superior,  on  the  other  hand,  was  so  heavy  and  lame, 
that  she  walked  with  much  difficulty,  end  consequently  exercised 
a  leas  vigilant  oversight  of  the  nuns.  She  was  also  of  a  timid 
disposition,  or  else  hi^  been  overcome  by  some  great  fright  in  her 
past  life  ;  for  she  was  apt  to  become  alarmed  m  the  night,  and 
never  liked  to  be  alone  in  the  dark.  She  had  long  performedthe 
part  of  an  old  nun,  which  is  that  of  a  spy  upon  the  younger  ones, 
and  was  well  known  to  us  in  that  character,  under  the  name  of 
St.  Margarita.  Soon  after  her  promotion  to  the  station  of  Supe- 
rior, she  appointed  me  to  sleep  in  her  apartment,- and  assigned  me 
a  sofa  to  he  upon.  One  night,  while  Z  was  asleep,  she  suddenly 
threw  herself  upon  me,  and  exclaimed,  in  great  alarm,  *'  Oh  I 
mon  Dieu  I  mon  Dieu !  qu'estque  ca  ?"  (Oh  I  my  GK>d !  my  God  I 
what  is  that  F)  I  jumped  up  and  looked  about  the  room,  but  saw 
nothing,  and  endeavoured  to  convince  her  that  there  was  nothing 
extraordinary  there.  But  she  insisted  that  a  ghost  had  come  and 
held  her  bed-curtain,  so  that  she  could  not  draw  it.  I  examined 
it,  and  found  that  the  curtain  l.i.d  been  caught  by  a  pin  in  the 
valence,  which  had  held  u  back ;  buc  it  was  impossible  to  trau- 
quilize  her  for  some  time.  She  insisted  on  my  sleeping  with  her 
the  rest  of  the  night,  and  I  stretched  myself  across  the  foot  of  her, 
bed,  and  slept  there  till  morning.  ^ 

During  the  last  part  of  my  stay  in  the  Convent,  I  n^as  often 
employed  in  attending  in  the  nospitals.  There  are,  as  I  have  be- 
fore mentioned,  several  apartments  devoted  to  the  sick,  and  there 
is  a  phvsician  of  Montreal,  who  attends  as  physician  to  the  Con- 
vent. It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  he  knows  anything 
concerning  the  private  hospitals.  It  is  a  fact  of  great  importance 
to  be  distinctly  understood,  and  constantly  borne  in  mmd,  that 
he  is  never,  under  any  circumstances,  admitted  into  the  private 
Vnspital'Cooms.  Of  those  he  sees  notMng  more  than  any  scranger 
^  .iatever.  He  is  limited  to  the  care  of  those  patients  who  are 
admitted  from  the  city  into  the  public  hospitall  and  one  of  the 
uuue'  hoq^tals,  and  these  ha  visits  every  day.  Sick  poor  are  re- 
ceived for  chanty  by  the  institution,  attended  bv  aome  of  the 
nan«,  and  often  go  away  with  the  hij^ett  ideas  of  omr  obaritable 


kwM  fiisdosares  of  Miaiia  UodL 


79 


obaraoten  and  holy  Utm.  The  phydoiaii  himielf  might,  pwhapa, 
in  fome  oases,  share  in  the  deindon. 

I  irequently  followed  Dr.  Nelson  thxoug^h  the  pnblio  hospital 
at  the  mreotion  of  the  Superior,  with  pen,  ink,  and  paper,  in  my 
hands,  and  wrote  down  the  prescriptions  which  he  ordered  for  the 
diflereht  patients.  These  were  afterwards  prepared  and  admin- 
istered by  the  attendants.  About  a  year  before  I  left  the  Oon- 
yeat,  I  was  first  appointed  to  attend  the  prirate  siok-rooms,  and 
.  was  frequently  employed  in  that  duty  up  to  the  day  of  my  de« 
parture.  Of  coune,  I  had  opportanities  to  observe  the  nanbei 
xad  classes  of  patients  treated  there ;  and  in  what  I  am  to  say  on 
the  subject,  I  appeal,  with  perfect  confidence,  to  any  true  and 
competent  witness  to  confinn  mv  words,  whenever  such  a  witness 
may  appear.  It  would  be  vain  for  any  bodv  who  has  merely  vi- 
sited the  Oonvent  from  curiosity,  or  resideo^n  it  as  a  novice,  to 
question  my  declarations.  Such  a  person  must  necessarily  be  ig- 
norant of  even  the  ezistenoe  of  the  private  rooms,  unless  inform- 
ed by  some  one  else.  Such  rooms,  however,  there  are,  and  I  could 
relate  many  things  which  have  passed  there  during  the  hours  I 
was  employed  in  thom,  as  I  have  stated. 

One  night  I  was  called  to  sit  up  with  an  old  nun,  named  St. 
Glare,  who,  in  going  down  stairs,  had  dislocated  a  limb,  and  lay 
in  a  sick-room  adjoining  the  hospital.  She  seemed  to  be  a  little 
out  of  her  head  a  part  of  the  time,  but  appeared  to  be  quite  in 
possession  of  her  reason  most  of  the  night.  It  was  easy  to  pre- 
tend that  she  was  delirious ;  but  I  considered  her  as  speaking  the ' 
truth;  though  I  felt  reluctant  to  repeat  what  I  heard  her  say,  and 
excused  myself  from  mentioning  it  even  at  confession,  on  the' 
ground  that  the  Superior  thought  her  deranged. 

What  led  her  to  some  of  the  most  remarkable  parts  of  her  con- 
versation was,  a  motion  I  made,  in  the  course  of  the  night,  to 
take  the  light  out  of  her  little  rOom  into  the  adjoining  apartment, 
to  look  once  more  at  the  sick  persons  there.  •  She  begged  mo  not 
to  leave  her  a  moment  in  the  dark,  for  she  could  not  bear  it.  **  I 
have  witnessed  so  manv  horrid  scenes,"  said  she,  "in  this  Oon- 
vent, that  I  waat  somebody  near  me  constantly,  and  must  always 
have  a  light  burning  in  my  room.  I  cannot  tell  you,"  she  added, 
"  what  things  I  remember,  for  they  would  frighten  you  too  much. 
What  you  have  seen  are  nothing  to  them.  Many  a  murder  have 
I  witnessed :  many  a  nice  young  creature  has  been  killed  in  this 
Nunaery.  I  advise  you  to  be  very  cautious— keep  everything  to 
yourself —there  r.;e  many  here  ready  to  betray  you." 

What  it  was  that  iuduced  the  old  nun  to  express  so  much  kind* 
ness  to  me  I  could  not  tell,  unless  she  was  frightened  at  the  re- 
collection of  her  own  crimes,  and  those  of.  others,  and  felt  grate- 
f ul  for  the  care  I  took  of  her.  Shf  had  been  one  of  the  night 
watches,  and  never  before  showed  me  any  particular  kindness. 
She  did  not  indeed  go  into  detail  oouoeroing  the  transactions  to 
which  she  alluded,  but  told  me  that  some  nuns  had  been  murder-  . 
ed  under  great  aggravations  o<  otaelty,  by  being  gagged,  and  left 
to  starve  in  the  cells,  or  having  their  flesh  burned  off  their  bones 
with  red  hot  irons. 

It  was  uncommon  to  find  compnuotion  expressed  by  any  of  the 
nuns.  Habit  renders  us  insensible  to  the  sufferings  of  others,  and 
careless  about  our  own  sins.  I  had  become  so  hardened  myself, 
that  I  find  it  difficult  to  rid  myself  of  many  of  my  former  false 
piinoiplee  and  views  of  right  and  wrong. 


80 


Xwta^  Bisolosnies  of  Maria  Monk. 


m.- 


>  I WM  oif^  day  set  to  wash  aome  empty  bottles  frotn  the  oeOar, 
which  had  contained  the  liquid  that  was  poured  into  the  cemetery 
there.  A  number  of  these  had  been  brought  from  the  comer 
where  so  many  of  them  were  alwayato  be  seen,  and  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  cellar  stairs,  and  there  we  were  required  to  take  them 
and  wash  them  out.  We  poured  in  water  and  rinsed  them  ;  a  few 
drops  which  got  upon  our  clothes  soon  made  holes  in  them.  I 
think  the  liquid  was  called  vitriol,  or  some  such  name,  and  I 
heard  some  persons  say  that  it  would  soon  destroy  the  flesh  and 
even  the  bones  of  the  dead.  At  another  time,  we^ere  furnished 
with  a  little  of  tho  liquid,  which  was  mixed  witlT  a  quantity  of 
water,  and  used  in  dymg  some  cloth  black,  which  was  wanted  at 
funerals  in  the  chapel.  Our  hands  were  turned  very  black  by 
being  dipped  in  it,  but  a  few  drops  of  some  other  liquid  were 
mizM  with  fresh  water,  and  given  us  to  wash  in,  whicn  left  our 
skin  of  a  bright  red. 

The  bottles  of  which  I  spoke  were  made  of  very  thick  dark*co> 
loured  glae.^,  large  at  the  bottom,  and,  I  should  say^held  some- 
thing less  than  a  gallon. 

I  was  once  much  shocked,  on  entering  the  room  for  the  exami- 
nation of  conscience,  at  seeing  a  nun  hanging  by  a  cord  from  a 
ring  in  the  ceiling,  with  her  head  downward.  Her  clothes  had 
been  tied  round  with  a  leathern  strap,  to  keep  them  in  their  place, 
and  then  she  ha^  been  fastened  in  that  situation,  with  her  head 
some  distance  from  the  floor.  Her  face  had  a  very  nnpleasant 
appearance,  beiilig  dark  coloured,  and  swollen  by  the  rushing  in 
of  the  blood  l  her  hands  were  tied,  and  her  mouth  stopped  with  a 
large  gag.  This  nun  proved  to  be  no  other  than  Jane  Bay,  who 
for  some  fault  had  been  condemned  to  this  punishment. 

This  was  not,  however,  a  solitary  case ;  I  heard  of  numbers 
who  were  "  hung,"  as  it  was  called,  at  different  times ;  and  I  saw 
St.  Hypolite  and  St.  Luke  undergoing  it.  This  was  considered  a 
most  distressing  punishment ;  and  it  was  the  only  one  which  Jane 
Bay  could  hot  endure,  of  all  she  had  tried. 

Some  of  the  nuns  would  allude  to  it  in  her  presence,  but  it  usu- 
ally made  her  angry.  It  was  probably  practised  in  the  same 
place  while  I  was  a  novice,  but  I  never  heard  or  thought  of  such 
a  thing  in  those  days.  Whenever  we  wished  to  enter  the  room 
for  the  examination  of  conscience,  we  had  to  ask  leave,  and, 
after  some  delay,  were  permitted  to  go,  but  always  under  a  strict 
charge  to  bend  the  head  forward,  and  keep  the  eyes  fixed  upon 
the  floor. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Sfore  visits  to  the  Imprisoned  nuns— Their  fears— C 'hers  temporarily  pnt 
into  the  cells— Relics— The  Agnus  Dei— The  priests'  mivate  hospital, 
or  Holy  Retreat— Secret  rooms  in  the  eastern  ving— Reports  of  mur- 
ders in  the  convent— The  Superior's  private  records— Number  of  nuns 
in  the  convent— Desire  ox  escape— XJigent  reason  for  it— Plan— Deli- 
beration-Attempt—Success. 

I  OFnsN  seized  an  opportunity,  when  I  safely  could,  to  speak  a 
cheering  or  friendly  word  to  one  of  the  poor  prisoners,  in  passing 
their  cells,  on  my  errands  in  the  cellars.  For  a  time  I  sopposea 
them  to  be  sisters ;  but  I  afterwards  discovered  that  buis  was  not 
the  case.  I  found  that  they  were  always  under  the  fear  of  suffer- 
ing some  puaishment,  in  case  they  should  be  found  talking  with 
a  person  not  commissioned  to  attend  them.  They  would  often 
ask,  <*  Is  not  somebody  coming  f" 


i 


iwM  Bisdiosnres  of  Haria  Monk. 


81 


I  oonld  easfly  believe  what  I  heard  affinned  by  others,  that  fear 
waa  tho  seTerest  of  their  sufferings.  Confined  in  Uie  dark,  in  so 
gloomy  a  place,  with  the  long  arched  cellar  stretching  off  this 
way  and  that,  visited  only  now  and  then  by  a  solitary  nun,  with 
whom  they  were  afraid  to  speak  their  feelings,  and  with  only  the 
miserable  iocieiSy  of  each  other ;  how  gloomy  thus  to  spend  day 
after  day,  months,  and  even  years,  without  any  prospect  of  libe* 
ration,  and  liable  at  any  moment  to  another  fate  to  which  the 
Bishop  or  Superior  might  condemn  them.  But  these  poor  crea- 
tures must  have  known  something  of  the  horrors  perpetrated  in 
other  parts  of  the  building,  and  could  not  have  been  ignorant  of 
the  hole  in  the  cellar,  which  was  not  far  from  the  cells,  and  the 
use  to  which  it  was  devoted.  One  of  them  told  me,  in  confidence^ 
she  wished  they  could  get  out.  They  must  also  have  been  often 
disturbed  in  their  sleep,  if  they  ever  did  sleep,  by  the  numerous 

Sriests  who  passed  through  the  trap-door  at  no  great  distance, 
'o  be  subject  to  such  trials  for  a  single  day  would  be  dreadful ; 
but  these  nuns  had  them  to  endure  for  years. 

I  often  felt  much  compassion  for  them,  and  wished  to  see  them 
released ;  but  at  other  times,  yielding  to  the  doctrine  perpetually 
taught  us  in  the  Convent,  that  our  future  happiness  would  be 
proportioned  to  the  sufferings  we  had  to  undergo  in  this  world,  I 
would  rest  satisfied  that  their  imprisonment  was  a  real  blessing 
to  them. 

Others,  I  presume,  participated  with  me  in  such  feelings.  One 
Sunday  afternoon,  after  we  had  performed  all  our  ceremonies, 
and  were  engaged  as  usual,  at  that  time,  with  backgammon  and 
other  amusements,  one  of  the  young  nans  exclaimed,  "  Oh  I  how 
headstrong  are  those  wretches  in  the  cells,  they  are  as  bad  ae  the 
day  ttiey  were  put  in !'' 

This  exclamation  was  made,  as  I  supposed,  in  consequence  of 
some  recent  conversation  with  them,  as  I  knew  her  to  be  parti- 
onlarly  acquainted  with  the  older  one. 

Some  ox  the  vacant  cells  were  occasionally  used  for  temporary 
imprisonment.  Three  nuns  were  confined  lu  them.,  to  my  k-  jw- 
ledge,  for  disobedience  to  the  Superior,  as  she  called  it.  Thry  did 
not  join  the  rost  in  singing  in  the  evening,  being  exhausted  is 
the  various  exertions  of  the  day.  The  Superior  ordered  them  to 
sing ;  and,  as  they  did  not  comply,  after  the  command  had  been 
twice  repeated^  she  ordered  them  away  to  the  cells. 

They  were  immediately  taken  down  into  the  cellar,  placed  ia 
separate  dungeons,  and  the  door  shut  and  baried  upon  them. 
There  they  remained  through  the  night,  the  foUowirog  day  and 
second  night,  but  were  released  in  time  to  attend  mass  on  ttie  se- 
cond morning. 

The  Supenor  used  occadonally  to  show  something  in  a  glass 
box,  whicn  we  were  required  to  regard  with  the  highest  degree 
of  ceverence.  It  was  made  of  wax,  and  called  an  Agnus  Dei.  She 
used  to  exhibit  it  to  us  when  we  were  in  a  state  of  grace ;  that  is, 
after  confesssioa  and  before  Sacrament.  She  said  it  had  been 
blessed  in  the  very  dish  in  which  our  Saviour  had  eaten.  It  was 
brought  from  Borne.  Every  time  we  kissed  it,  or  even  looked  at 
it,  we  were  told  it  gave  a  hundred  days'  release  from  purgatory 
to  ourselves,  or  if  we  did  not  need  it.  to  our  next  of  km  in  pur- 
gatory, if  not  a  Protestant.  If  wehsdno  such  kinsman,  the  bene- 
fit was  to  go  to  the  souls  in  purgatory  nof  prayed  for 

Jane  Bay  would  sometimes  say  to  me,  **  Let's  kiss  it— some  of 
our  friends  will  thank  us  for  it;" 

V 


32 


IwM  Bisdosnres  of  Maria  Monk. 


I  hare  been  repeatedly  employed  in  earrjing  daintiea  of  differ- 
ent kinds  into  the  little  private  room  I  have  mentioned,  next  be- 
yond the  Superior's  sitting-room,  in  the  second  story,  which  the 
{meets  made  their  **  Holy  Retreat "  That  room  Inererwasal- 
owed  to  enter.  I  could  only  go  to  the  door  with  a  waiter  of  ve- 
ireshments,  set  it  down  upon  a  little  stand  near  it,  give  three  raps 
on  the  door,  and  then  retire  to  a  distance  to  await  orders.  When 
anything  was  to  be  taken  away,  it  was  placed  on  the  stand  by 
the  Superior,  who  then  gave  tluree  raps  Tor  ine,  and  closed  the 
door. 

The  Bishop  I  saw  at  least  once,  when  he  appeared  worse  for 
wind,  or  something  of  the  kind.  After  partaking  of  refreshments 
in  the  Convent,  he  sent  for  all  the  nuns,  and  on  our  appearance, 
gave  us  his  blessiug,  and  put  a  piece  "4  pound  cake  on  the  shoulder 
of  each  of  us,  in  a  manner  which  appeared  singular  and  foolish. 

There  are  three  rooms  in  the  Black  Nunnery,  which  I  never 
entered.  I  had  enjoyed  much  liberty,  and  had  seen,  as  I  suppos- 
ed, all  parts  of  the  building,  when  one  day  I  observed  an  old  nun 
go  to  a  corner  of  an  apartment  near  the  northern  end  of  the  wes- 
tern wing,  push  the  end  of  her  scissors  into  a  crack  in  the  panel- 
led wall,  and  pull  out  a  door.  I  was  much  surprised,  because  I 
never  had  conjectured  that  any  door  was  there ;  and  it  appear- 
ed, when  I  afterwards  examined  the  place,  that  no  indication  of 
it  could  be  disbovered  on  the  doeost  scrutiny.  I  stepped  forward 
to  see  what  was  within,  and  saw  three  rooms  opening  into  each 
other  J  but  the  nun  refused  to  admit  me  within  the  door,  wLic  b 
she  saii  led  to  rooms  kept  as  depositories. 

She  herself  entered  and  closed  the  door,  so  that  I  could  not  sat- 
isfy my  cnriosity ;  and  no  occasion  presented  itself.  I  always 
had  a  strong  desire  to  know  tho  use.of  these  apartments :  for  I 
am  sure  they  must  have  been  designed  for  some  purpose  oi  which 
I  was  intentionally  kept  ignorant,  otherwise  they  never  would 
have  remained  unknown  to  me  so  long.  Besides,  the  old  nun 
evidently  had  some  strong  reason  for  denying  me  admission, 
though  she  endeavoured  to  quiet  my  curiosity. 

The  Superior,  after  my  admission  into  the  Convent,  had  told 
me  I  had  access  to  every  room  in  the  building ;  and  I  had  seen 
places  which  bore  witness  to  the  cruelties  and  the  crimes  com- 
mitted under  her  commands  or  sanction ;  but  here  was  a  sueces- 
sion  of  rooms  which  had  been  concealed  from  me,  and  so  con- 
structed as  if  designed  to  be  unknown  to  all  but  u  i«>>«\,  I  am 
sure  that  any  person,  who  might  be  able  to  examine  the  wall  in 
that  place,  would  pronounce  that  secret  door  a  surprising  piece 
,of  work.  I  never  saw  anything  of  the  kind  which  appeart^^  to 
me  so  ingenious  and  skilfully  made.  I  told  Jane  Bay  what  I  bad 
seen,  and  she  said  at  once,  "  We  will  get  in  and  <■  &  what  is 
there."    But  I  suppose  she  never  found  an  opportunity. 

I  naturally  folt  a  good  deal  of  curiosity  to  leara  whether  such 
scenes,  as  I  hau  witnessed  in  the  death  of  Saint  Frances,  were 
common  or  rare,  and  took  an  opportunity  to  inquire  of  Jane  Bay. 
Her  reply  was — 

"  Oh,  yes ;  and  there  were  nany  murdered  while  you  were  a 
novice,  whom  you  heard  nothing  about." 

This  was  all  I  ever  learnt  on  this  subject ;  but  although  I  was 
told  nothing  of  the  mai^ner  .'.'  which  they  -vcere  killed,  I  suppose 
it  to  be  the  suwc  which  I  had  seen  practised,  namely,  by  nmoth- 
ering. 


IwM  IMsoIcNirizoi  of  Hazia  UonL 


^ 


I  wepit  into  fhA  Superior'!  parlonr  lae  dftr  for  lointihiiig,  nxti 
found  jane  Bay  there  alone,  looking  into  a  book  with  an  appear- 
ance oTinterest.  I4uiked  her  what  it  wae,  bnt  she  made  ■osne 
trifling  answer,  and  laid  it  hv  ai  if  nnwilling  to  let  me  take  it. 
There  are  two  Dookcaaei  in  t&e  room ;  one  on  the  right  as  you 
enter  the  door,  and  the  other  oppomte,  near  the  window  and  the 
sofa.  The  former  contains  the  lectore^books  and  other  printed 
▼olumes,  the  latter  seemed  to  be  filled  with  note  and  aooo^ut 
books.  I  have  often  seen  the  keys  in  the  bookcases  while  I  hav» 
been  dusting  the  furniture,  and  sometimes  observed  letters  nuck 
up  in  the  room ;  although  I  never  looked  into  one,  or  thought  of 
doing  so.  We  were  under  strict  orders  not  to  touch  any  of 
them,  and  the  idea  of  sins  and  penances  was  always  present  in 
my  mind. 

Some  time  after  the  occasion  mentioned,  I  was  sent  into  the 
Superior's  room  with  Jane,  to  arrange  it ;  and  as  the  same  book 
was  lying  out  of  the  case,  she  said,  *'  Gome  let  us  look  into  it."  I 
immediately  consented,  and  we  opened  it,  and  tamed  over  sev* 
eral  leaves.  It  was  about  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  as  nearly  as  I 
can  remember,  a  foot  wide,  and  about  two  inches  thick,  though  I 
cannot  speak  with  particular  precision,  as  Jane  frightened  me  al- 
most  as  soon  as  I  touched  it, bv  exolaimiag,  "  There,  you  have 
looked  into  it,  and  if  you  tell  of  me,  I  will  of  you." 

The  thought  of  being  subjected  to  a  severe  penance,  which  I 
had  reason  to  apprehend,  fluttered  me  very  much  ;  and,  although 
I  tried  to  cover  my  fears,  I  did  not  succeed  very  well.  I  reflect- 
ed, however,  that  the  sia  was  already  committed,  and  that  it 
would  not  be  increased  if  I  examined  the  book. 

I  therefore  looked  a  little  at  several  pages,  though  I  still  felt  a 
good  deal  of  agitation.  I  saw  at  once  that  the  volume  was  a  re- 
cord of  the  entrance  of  nuns  and  novices  into  the  Convent,  and 
of  the  births  that  had  taken  place  in  the  Convent.  Entries  of  the 
last  description  were  made  in  a  brief  manner,  on  the  following 
plan :  I  do  not  give  the  names  or  dates  as  real,  but  only  to  show 
the  form  of  entering  them. 

Saint  Mary,  delivered  of  a  son,  March  16, 1834. 
Saint  Clarice  „  daughter,  April  2. 

Saint  Matilda         ,,  daughter,  April  30,  &o. 

No  mention  was  made  in  the  book  of  the  death  of  the  children, 
though  I  well  knew  not  one  of  tbem  could  be  living  at  that  time. 

Now  I  presume  that  the  period  the  book  embraced  was  about 
two  years,  as  several  names  near  the  beginning  I  knew ;  but  I 
can  form  only  a  rough  conjecture  of  the  number  oi  infants  born, 
and  murdered,  of  course,  records  of  which  it  contained.  I  sop- 
pose  the  book  contained  at  least  one  hundred  pages,  and  one 
fourth  wMe  written  upon,  and  that  each  page  contained  fifteen 
distinct  records.  Several  pages  were  devoted  to  the  list  of  births. 
On  this  supposition  there  must  have  been  a  large  number,  which 
I  can  easily  believe  to  have  been  bom  there  in  the  course  of  two 
years. 

What  wero  the  contents  of  the  other  books  belonging  to  the 
same  case  with  that  which  I  had  looked  into,  I  have  no  idea,  hav- 
ing never  dared  to  touch  one  of  them  ;  I  believe,  however,  that 
Jane  Bay  was  well  acquainted  with  thsm,  knowing,  as  I  do,  her 
intelligence  and  prying  disposition.  If  the  could  be  brought  to 
give  her  testimony,  she  would  doubtlesa  a»fold  many  curious 
partioolan  now  unknown. 


?* 


kvM  BiiRilosQres  of  Maria  UbnL 


I  «m  aU<^  in  oonMqaracM  of  a  oinramftanoe  Whidh  wpaMtd  ao- 
doental,  to  tUte  wit£  oonfldenoe  the  exaot  namber  of  ptnoni  in 
the  Oonrent  one  da/  of  the  week  in  which  Bleft  it.  Thie  may  be 
a  point  of  some  intereit,  as  seyeral  deaths  LmI  ooonned  nnoe  my 
taUng  the  veil,  and  many  burials  had  been  openly  made  in  the 
ehapel. 

I  was  appointed,  at  the  time  mentioned,  to  lay  ont  the  coTen 
for  all  the  mmates  of  the  Oonvent,  including  the  nuns  in  ttt»eelle. 
These  covers,  as  I  have  said  before,  were  linen  bands,  to  be  bound 
around  the  kniTes,  forks,  spoons,  and  napkins,  for  eating.  These 
were  for  all  the  nuns  and  novices,  and  amounted  to  two  hundred 
and  ten.  As  the  number  of  novices  was  then  about  thirty,  I  know 
that  there  must  have  been  at  that  time  about  one  hundred  and 
eighty  veiled  nuns. 

I  t/ca  occasionally  troubled  with  a  desire  of  escaping  from  the 
Nuiiudry,  and  was  much  distressed  whenever  !  felt  so  e^  an  im« 
a?f  nation  rise  in  my  mind.  I  believed  that  it  was  a  sin,  a  great 
ciu,  (.ud  did  not  fail  to  confess,  at  every  opportunity,  that  I  felt 
(iiscoixtent.  My  confessors  iaformed  me  that  I  was  beset  wiUi 
avil  upirits,  and  urged  me  to  pray  against  it.  Still,  however,  every 
J.OW  and  then,  I  would  think,  **  Oh,  if  I  could  get  out." 

At  length  one  of  the  priests  to  whom  I  had  oonf  eased  this  sin. 
irfo!  ^M  1  me.  for  my  comfort,  that  he  had  bagua  to  pray  tt>  Saint 
An'hony,  and  hoped  his  intercession  would,  by<and>by,  drive 
away  the  evil  spirit.  My  desire  of  escape  was  partly  excited  by 
the  fear  of  bringing  an  infant  to  the  murderous  hands  of  my  com- 
panions, or  of  taking  a  potion  whose  violent  effects  I  too  well 
knew. 

One  evening,  however,  I  found  myself  more  filled  with  a  desire 
of  escape  than  ever ;  and  what  exertions  I  made  to  dismiss  tiie 
thought  proved  entirely  unavaiJdng.  During  evening  prayers,  I 
became  quite  occupied  with  it ;  and  when  the  time  of  meditation 
arrived,  metaad  of  falling  into  a  doxe,  as  I  often  did,  though  I 
was  a  good  deal  fatigued,  I  found  no  difficulty  in  keeping  awake. 
When  this  exercise  was  over,  and  the  other  nuns  were  abont  to 
retire  to  the  sleeping  room,  my  station  being  in  the  private  sick- 
room for  the  night,  I  withdrew  to  my  post,  tirhioh  was  the  little 
sitting  room  adjoining  it. 

Here,  then,  Ithrew  myself  upon  the  sofa,  and  being  alone,  re- 
flected a  few  moments  on  the  manner  of  escaping  whicAi  had  oc- 
curred to  me.  The  physician  had  arrived  a  little  before,  at  half- 
past  eight ;  and  I  had  now  to  aroompany  him  as  usual  from  bed 
to  bed,  with  pen,  ink„  and  paper :  to  Vy^iia  down  his  prescriptions 
for  the  direction  of  the  old  nun,  who  was  to  see  the  n  administered. 

What  I  wrote  on  that  evening.  I  cannot  now  xacollect,  as  my 
mind  was  uncommonly  agitated ;  but  my  customasy  way  was  to 
note  down  briefly  his  orders,  in  this  manner— « 
1  d.  salts,  St.  Matilde. 
1  blister,  St.  Qenevieve,  &o. 

I  remember  that  I  wrote  these  orders  that  evening,  and  then, 
having  finished  the  rounds,  I  returned  for  a  few  mommts  to  the 
sitting-room. 

'  1'here  were  two  ways  of  access  to  the  street  from  those  rooms; 
-first,  the  more  direct,  from  the  passage  adjoining  the  sick-room 
d  jwn  stairs,  tb  rough  a  door,  into  theNnrmery-yard,  and  through 
a  wicker  gate ;  that  is  the  way  by  whieli  the  physician  nsnaUy 
enters  at  night,  and  he  is  provided  witii  a  key  for  that  pui^se. 


I 


ivM  IMoennB  of  Hula  Ttaak. 


8S 


It  would  have  bMn  unsafe,  howeTer,  for  me  to  pan  oat  that 
way,  beoaoae  a  man  is  kept  oontinaaUy  in  the  yard,  near  the  gate^ 
who  ileept  at  night  in  a  imall  hut  near  the  door,  to  escape  whose 
obseryation  wotQd  be  impossible.  My  only  hope,  thereforej  was, 
that  I  might  gain  my  passage  through  the  other  way,  to  do  whioh 
I  nnist  pass  through  the  sick-room,  then  through  a  passage,  or 
small  room  usually  occupied  by  an  old  nun ;  another  passage  and 
stairease  leading  down  to  the  ysrd,  and  a  large  gate  opening  into 
the  cross  street.  I  had  no  liberty  to  go  beyona  the  sick-room,  and 
knew  that  several  of  the  doors  might  be  fastened;  still  I  deter- 
mined to  try ;  although  I  have  often  since  been  astonished  at  my 
boldness  in  undertaldng  what  would  expose  me  to  so  many  ha* 
surds  of  failure,  and  to  severe  punishment  if  found  out. 

It  seemed  as  if  I  acted  under  some  extraordinary  impulse, 
which  encouraged  me  to  what  I  should  hardly  at  any  other  mo- 
ment have  tuought  of  undertaking.  I  had  sat  but  a  short  time 
ui)on  the  sofa,  however,  before  I  rose  with  a  desperate  determin- 
atio]3i  to  make  the  experiment.  I  therefore  walked  hastily  across 
the  rack  room,  passed  into  the  nun's  room^  walked  by  ner  in  a 
great  hurry,  and  alraest  without  giving  her  time  to  speak  or  thin^ 
said,  "  A  message  I"  and  in  an  instant  was  through  the  door,  and 
in  the  next  passage.  I  think  there  was  another  nun  with  her  at 
the  moment ;  and  it  is  probable  that  my  hurried  mannex%  and 
promi)t  intimation  that  1  was  sent  on  a  pressing  mission  to  the 
Superior,  provented  them  from  eutertaiQiug  any  suspicion  of  my 
intention.  Besides,  I  bad  the  written  orders  of  the  physician  iu 
my  hand,  which  may  have  tended  to  mislead  them ;  and  it  was 
well  known  to  some  of  the  nuns,  bhat  I  had  twice  left  the  Con- 
vent, and  returned  from  choice,  so  that  I  was  probably  more  like- 
ly to  be  trusted  to  remain  *^    i  many  of  the  others. 

The  passage  which  I  nonv  >e&jhed  had  several  doors,  with  all 
which  1  was  acquainted ;  that  on  the  opposite  side  opened  into  a 
community-room,  where  I  should  have  probably  found  some  of 
the  old  nuns  at  that  hour,  and  they  would  certainly  have  stopped 
me.  On  the  left,  however,  was  a  large  door,  both  locked  and  bar- 
red :  but  I  gave  the  door  a  sudden  swing,  that  it  might  creak  as 
little  as  possible,  being  of  iron.  Down  the  stairs  I  hurried,  and 
making  my  way  through  the  door  into  the  yard,  stepped  across  it, 
unbarred  the  great  gate,  'and  was  at  liberty  1 


CONCLUSION. 
Ths  following  dreuBBrtances  comprise  ell  that  is  deemed  neces- 
sary now  to  subjoin  to  tbe  piwcediag  marrative. 

After  my  arrival  in  New  York,  I  was  introduced  to  the  alms- 
bouse,  where  1  was  attended  with  kindness  and  care,  and,  as  I 
hoped,  was  entirely  ur  known.  But  when  I  had  been  some  time 
in  thatirstitution,  I  found  that  it  was  reported  that  I  was  a 
fugitive  nun ;  and  not  long  after,  an  Irish  woman,  belonging  to 
the  house,  brought  me  a  secret  message,  which  caused  me  some 
agitation. 

I  was  sittir  3;  in  the  room  of  Mrs.  Johnson,  the  matron,  enga^;ed 
in  sewing,  when  that  Lrish  woman,  employed  in  the  institution, 
came  in  and  told  me  that  Mr.  Gonroy  was  below,  and  had  sent  to 
tee  me.  I  was  mformed  that  he  was  a  Boman  priest,  who  often 
visited  the  house,  and  he  had  a  particular  wish  to  see  me  at  that 
time;  having  oome,  as  I  believe,  eiq^reisly  for  that  purpose.    X 


>^  ■    fe 


JL 


86 


kwM  BiBdosures  of  Maria  Monk. 


ihowtid  vnirilliiigneM  to  oompfy  with  laoh  aa  invitatioii,  and  did 
notffo.  , 

The  woman  told  me,  farther,  that  he  tent  me  word  that  I  need 
not  think  to  aToid  him,  for  it  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  do  sc^ 
I  might  oonoeal  myself  as  well  as  I  oould,  but  I  should  be  found 
and  taken.  "So  matter  where  I  went,  or  what  hiding-plaoo  I 
might  choose,  I  should  be  known ;  and  I  had  better  come  at  onoe. 
He  knew  who  I  was ;  and  he  was  authorized  to  take  me  to  the 
Sisters  of  Oharity,  if  I  should  prefer  to  join  them.  He  would 
promise  that  I  might  stay  with  them  if  I  chose,  and  be  permitted 
to  remain  in  New  York.  He  sent  me  word  further  that  he  had 
received  full  power  and  authority  over  me  from  the  Superior  of 
the  Hotel  Dieu  Nunnery  at  Montreal,  and  was  able  to  do  all  that 
she  oould  do ;  as  her  right  to  dispose  of  me  at  her  will  had  been 
imparted  to  him  by  a  regular  writing  received  from  Oanada.  This 
was  alarming  information  for  me,  in  the  weakness  in  which  I  was 
at  that  time.  The  woman  added,  that  the  same  authoritv  had 
been  given  to  all  the  priests ;  so  that  go  where  I  mieht  I  should 
meet  men  informed  about  me  and  my  escape,  and  fully  empower- 
ed to  seize  mo  whenever  they  could,  and  convey  me  back  tu  'He 
Convent  from  which  I  had  escaped. 

Under  these  ciroumdtances,  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  offer  to 
place  me  among  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  with  permission  to  remain 
in  New  York,  Was  mild  and  favourable.  However,  I  had  resolu- 
tion enough  to  refuse  to  see  priest  Conroy. 

Not  long  afterwards  I  was  informed,  by  the  same  messenger, 
that  the  priest  was  again  in  the  building,  and  repeated  his  re- 
quest. I  desired  one  of  the  gentlemen  connected  with  the  insti- 
tution, that  a  stop  might  be  put  to  such  messages,  as  I  wished  to 
receive  no  more  of  them.  A  short  time  after,  however,  the  wo« 
man  told  me  that  Mr.  Conroy  wished  to  inquire  of  me,  whether 
my  name  was  not  St.  Eustace  while  a  nun,  and  if  I  had  not  con- 
fessed to  Priest  Kelly  in  Montreal.  I  answered,  that  it  was  all 
true ;  for  I  had  confessed  to  him  a  short  time  while  in  the  Nttn< 
nery.  I  was  then  told  again  thnt  the  priest  wanted  to  see  me, 
and  I  sent  back  word  that  I  would  see  him  in  the  presence  of 

Mr.  T or  Mr.  S— ;  which,  however,  was  not  agreed  to ; 

and  I  was  afterwards  informed,  that  Mr.  Conroy,  the  Boman 
priest,  spent  an  hour  in  the  room  and  a'passage  where  I  had  fre- 
quently been ;  but,  through  the  mercy  of  Ood,  I  was  employed  at 
another  place  at  that  timo,  and  had  no  occasion  to  go  where  I 
should  have  met  him.  I  afterwards  repeatedly  heard,  that  Mr. 
Conroy  continued  to  visit  the  house^  and  to  ask  for  me ;  but  I 
never  saw  him.  I  once  had  determmed  to  leave  the  institution, 
and  go  to  the  Sisters  of  Charity ;  but  circumstances  occurred 
which  gave  me  time  for  farther  reflection ;  and  I  was  saved  from 
the  destruction  to  which  I  should  have  be^i  exposed. 

As  the  period  of  my  accouchement  apinroached,  I  sc<metimea 
thought  that  I  should  not  survive  it ;  and  then  the  recollection  of 
the  dreadful  crimes  I  had  witnessed  in  the  Nunnery  would  come 
upon  me  very  powerfully,  and  I  wsuld  think  it  a  solemn  doty  to 
disclose  them  before  I  died.  To  have  a  knowledge  of  those  things, 
and  leave  the  world  without  making  them  known,  appeared  to 
me  like  a  great  sin,  whenever  I  coud  divest  myself  of  the  im- 
pression made  upon  me  by  the  declaratioaii  and  arguments  of 
the  Superior,  nuns,  and  priests,  of  tb»  duty  of  lubmittins  to 
ever|thing,  and  the  necessary  holineu  of  whatever  they  did  ox 
required. 


AwM  Dlsdosores  ot  Maila  Hbnlc 


87 


Th«  aTening  but  om  befon  tti«  period  which  I  antidpated  with 
■o  much  anxiety,  I  was  sittiDg  alone,  and  began  to  indulge  in  re- 
fleotiont  of  this  kind.  It  seemed  to  me  thai  I  must  be  near  the 
elose  of  my  life,  and  I  determined  to  make  a  disclosure  at  once. 
I  spoke  to  Mrs.  Ford,  a  woman  whose  character  I  respected,  a 
nurse  in  the  hospital,  number  twenty-three.  I  informed  her  that 
I  had  no  expectation  of  living  long,  and  had  some  things  on  my 
mind  which  I  wished  to  communicate  before  it  should  be  too  late. 
I  added,  that  I  should  prefer  telling  them  to  Mr.  T ,  the  chap- 
lain I  of  which  she  approved,  as  she  considered  it  a  duty  to  do  ao, 
under  those  circumstances.  I  had  no  opportunity,  however,  to 
converse  with  Mr.  T.  at  that  time,  and,  probably,  my  purpose  of 
disclosing  the  facts  already  given  m  this  book,  would  never  have 
been  executed,  but  for  what  subsequently  took  place. 

It  was  alarm  which  led  me  to  form  such  a  determination ;  and 
when  the  period  of  trial  had  been  safely  passed,  audi  had  a  pros- 
pect of  recovery,  anything  appeared  to  me  more  unlikely  than 
that  I  should  make  this  exposure. 

I  was  then  a  Boman  Catholic,  at  least  a  great  part  of  my  time; 
and  my  conduct,  in  a  great  measure,  was  according  to  the  faith 
and  motives  of  a  Bomau  Catholic.  Notwithstanding  what  I  knew 
of  the  conduct  of  so  many  of  the  priests  and  nuns,  I  thought  that 
it  had  no  effect  on  the  sanctity  of  the  church,  or  the  authority  or 
effects  of  the  acts  performed  by  the  former  at  the  mass,  confes- 
sion, &c.  I  had  such  a  regard  for  my  vows  as  a  uun,  that  I  con- 
sidered my  hand  as  well  as  my  heart  irrevocably  given  to  Jesus 
Christ,  and  could  never  have  allowed  any  person  to  take  it.  In- 
deed, to  this  day,  I  feel  an  instinctive  aversion  to  offering  my 
hand,  or  taking  the  hand  of.  another  person,  even  as  an  expres- 
sion of  friendship. 

I  also  thought  that  I  mi|a;ht  soon  return  to  the  Catholics,  al- 
though fear  and  disgust  held  me  back.  I  had  now  that  infant  to 
think  for,  whose  life  I  had  happily  saved  by  my  timely  escape 
from  the  Nunnery  ;  what  its  fate  might  be,  in  case  it  should  ever 
fall  into  the  power  of  the  priests,  I  could  not  tell. 

I  had,  however,  reason  for  alarm.  Would  a  child,  destined  to 
destruction,  like  the  infants  I  had  seen  baptized  ana  smothered, 
be  allowed  to  go  through  the  world  unmolested,  a  living  memo- 
rial of  the  truth  of  crimes  long  practised  in  security,  because  nevsr 
exposed  P  What  pledges  could  I  get  to  satisfy  me,  that  I,  on 
whom  her  dependence  must  be,  would  be  spared  by  those  who,  I 
had  reason  to  think,  were  wishing  then  to  sacrifice  me  P  How 
could  I  trust  the  helpless  infant  in  hands  which  had  hastened  the 
baptism  of  many  such,  in  order  to  hurry  them  iuto  the  secret  pit 
in  the  cellar  P  Could  I  suppose  that  Father  Phelan,  Priest  of  the 
Parish  Church  oj  Montreal,  would  see  his  own  child  growing  up 
in  the  world,  and  feel  willing  to  run  the  risk  of  having  the  truth 
exposed  ?  What  could  I  expect,  especially  from  him,  but  the  ut- 
most rancour,  and  the  most  determined  enmity,  against  the  inno- 
cent child  and  its  abused  and  defenceless  mother? 

Yet,  my  mind  would  sometimes  still  incline  to  the  opposite  di- 
rection, and  indulge  the  thought,  that  perhaps  the  only  way  to 
secure  heaven  to  us  both,  was  to  throw  ourselves  back  into  the 
hands  of  the  church,  to  be  treated  as  she  pleased. — When,  there- 
fore, the  fear  of  immediate  death  was  removed,  I  renounced  all 
thoughts  of  communicating  the  sabstunce  of  the  facts  of  this  vo- 
lume.   It  happened,  however,  that  my  danger  was  not  passed.  I 


S8 


IwM  Bisdlosiires  of  Haria  MonL 


wai  loon  seiied  with  Tery  alarming  ■ymptomi ;  then  my  deilit  to 
diuloM  my  ttory  nTiyea. 

I  had  before  had  an  oppori  .nity  to  speak  in  priTate  with  the 
chaplain ;  but,  ai  it  was  at  a  time  when  I  lupposed  myself  out  of 
danger,  I  had  deferred  for  three  days  my  proposed  oommanioa- 
tion,  thinking  that  I  might  yet  aroid  it  altogether.  When  my 
symptoms,  howeyer,  became  more  alarming,  I  was  aozioni  for 
Satcurday  to  anive,  the  day  which  I  had  appointed ;  and  when  I 
had  not  the  opportunity,  on  that  day,  which  I  desired,  I  thought 
it  might  be  too  late,  l  did  not  see  him  till  Monday,  when  my 
prospects  of  surviving  were  very  gloomy,  and  I  then  informed 
him  that  I  wished  to  communicate  to  him  a  few  secrets,  wh^oh 
were  likely  otherwise  to  die  with  me.  I  then  told  him,  that  while 
a  nun,  in  the  Convent  of  Montreal,  I  had  witnessed  the  murder 
of  a  nun,  called  Saint  IVances,  and  of  at  least  one  of  the  infants 
which  I  have  spoken  of  in  this  book.  I  added  some  few  circum- 
stances, and  I  believe  disclosed,  in  general  terms,  some  of  the 
crimes  I  knew  of  in  that  Nunnery. 

My  anticipatious  of  death  proved  to  be  unfounded:  for  my 
health  afterwards  improved,  and  had  I  not  made  the  confessions 
on  that  occasion,  it  is  very  possible  I  might  never  have  made 
them.  I,  however,  atterwaitls,  felt  more  willing  to  listen  to  in- 
struction, and  experienced  friendly  attentions  from  some  of  the 
benevolent  persons  around  me,  who,  taking  sn  interest  in  me  on 
account  of  my  darkened  understanding,  furnished  me  with  the 
Bible,  and  were  ever  ready  to  counsel  me  when  I  desired  it. 

I  soon  began  to  believe  that  Ood  might  have  intended  that  his 
creatures  should  learn  his  will  by  reading  his  word,  and  taking 
upon  them  the  free  exercise  of  their  reason,  and  acting  under  re- 
sponsibility to  him. 

It  is  dimcult  lor  one  wl^o  has  never  given  way  to  such  argu- 
ments and  inflrenccji  ti&  thosu  to  which  I  had  been  exposed,  to 
realize  how  hara  it  is  to  think  aright,  after  thinking  wrong.  The 
Scriptures  always  affect  me  powerfully  when  I  read  them ;  but  I 
feel  that  I  have  but  just  begun  to  learn  the  great  truths,  in  which 
I  ought  to  have  been  early  and  thoroughly  instructed.  I  realize, 
in  some  degree,  how  it  is,  that  the  Scriptures  render  the  people  of 
the  United  States  so  strongly  opposed  to  such  doctrines  as  are 
taught  in  the  Black  and  Congregational  Nunneries  of  Montreal. 
The  priests  and  nuns  used  often  to  declare  that  of  all  heretics,  the 
children  from  the  United  States  were  the  most  difficult  to  be  con- 
verted; and  it  was  tnought  a  great  triumph  when  one  of  them 
was  brought  over  to  **  the  true  niith."  The  fixst  passage  of  Scrip- 
ture that  made  any  serious  impression  upon  my  mind,  was  the 
text  on  which  the  chaplain  preached  on  the  Sabbath  after  my  in> 
troduotion  to  the  house^— "  Search  the  Scriptures." 


i 


EXTRACTS  FROM  PUBLIC  JOURNALS, 


SBLA.TITE  TO 


THE  TRUTH  Ou 
MARIA  MONK'S  DISCLOSURES. 


The  following  eertificaU  appeared  in  the  Protestant  Vindieaior^  in 

March,  1836« 

Wa,  thesabioriben,  have  an  acquaintance  with  Miss  Maria  Monk, 
and  haying  considered  the  evidence  of  different  kinds  which  has 
been  collected  in  relation  to  her  case,  have  no  hesitation  in  de- 
claring our  belief  in  the  truth  of  the  statements  she  makes  in  her 
book,  recently  published  in  New  York,  entitled  *  Awful  Disdo- 
eures,'  &o. 

"We  at  the  same  time  declare  that  the  assertion,  originally 
made  in  the  Boman  Catholic  Newspapers  of  Boston,  that  the 
book  was  copied  from  a  work  entitled  'The  Oates  of  Hell  Open- 
ed,' is  wholly  destitute  of  foundation ;  it  being  entirely  new,  and 
not  copied  from  anything  whatsoever. 

"  And  we  further  declare,  that  no  evidence  has  been  produced 
which  discredits  the  statements  of  Miss  Monk  ;  while,  on  the  con*  ■ 
trary,  her  story  has  yet  received,  and  oontinuei  to  receive,  obn* 
firmation  from  various  souroei. 

"  During  the  last  week,  two  important  witnesses  spontaneously 
appeared,  and  offered  to  give  public  testimony  in  her  favour. 
Irom  them  the  following  delineations  have  been  received.  Hie 
first  is  an  affidavit  given  b^  Mr.  William  Miller,  now  a  resident 
of  this  city.  The  second  is  a  statement  received  from  a  young 
married  woman,  who,  with  her  husband,  also  resides  here.  In 
the  clear  and  repeated  statements  made  by  these  two  witnesses, 
we  place  entire  relianoe ;  who  are  ready  to  furnish  satisfeotioii  to 
any  persons  making  reasonable  enquiries  on  the  subject. 
**  W.  C.  BsowmtEB,  "  Aacos  BacsBir, 

"JoHNJ.SLOOuii^  "David  WssBOzr, 

.     **Ain>SBwBBiTC!B,  **  Teoiua  Hocuv." 

**D.  FijraBAW,  __ 


^, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


I/, 


1.0 


1.1 


%& 


:^  ij£  12.0 


IL25  i  1.4 


II 


1.6 


Photographic 

Sdaices 

Corporatton 


23  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WIBSTER,N.Y.  MSM 

(716)  •72-4503 


'^ 


90 


AwM  DisdlosnzeB  of  Maria  HboL 


ISron  the  Ameriean  Prote^nt  Vindieator. 

*'It  was  expected  that,  after  Maria  Monica  disolosoresi  an  art- 
ful attempt  would  be  made  to  inralidate  her  testimony— which 
was  done  secretly  after  her  escape  from  the  Hotel  Dieu  Nnnnerj%  . 
by  so  altering  the  appearance  of  that  institution  by  planking,  and 
bricking,  and  stoning,  as  to  deceiye  Ool.  Stone,  who  was  then  re- 
qresteoto  examine  itior  himself  and  the  world.  The  OoL  mis* 
reiHcesented  what  he  saw,  he  was  deceited  regarding  those  alter- 
ations by  the  inmates,  who  dragged  him,  as  it  were,  by  force 
thi»)ugh  the  building  during  hia  examination,  which  was  perform- 
ed in  the  amazing  short  space  of  a  few  hours.  But  time  is  the 
grand  unraveUer  of  mysteries.  On  the  appearance  of  the  book 
of  Misi  Monk,  the  hoodwinked  people  of  Montreal  were  so  sur- 
prised and  stupefied  at  finding  that  the  immaculate  purity  of  the 
Hotel  Dieu  had  been  so  disparaged,  that  thej  forgot  to  think  se- 
riously on  the  subject— but,  understanding  that  the  story  had 
l^ained  almost 'general  belief  abroad,  they,  at  last,  were  led  to  oon- 

Iecture  that  perhaps  it  was  partiality  that  preTcnted  them  from 
relieving  it  at  home.  General  attention,  therefore,  in  Montreal, 
was  directed  towards  that  edifice— and  those  residing  in  its  im- 
mediate vicinity  cast  a  retrospective  glance  over  what  they  had 
seen  transacted  there,  between  the  time  at  which  the '  Bisdo- 
snres*  were  puUlibhed,  and  the  visit  of  Ool.  Stone.  The  result  of 
this  investigation  has  been  lately  given  on  the  spot  to  the  Bev. 
Jas.  P.  Miller,  of  New  York,  who  visited  that  city  for  the  pur- 

?ose  of  hearing  that  the  truth  was  gradually  coming  to  light, 
'he  neighbours  informed  Mr.  Miller  that  about  the  time  it  was 
rumourei  th%t  she  had  exposed  the  institution,  a  mysterious  pile 
of  planks,  twenty-five  feet  in  height,  had  been  placed  myBterious- 
ly  m  the  yard,  which  were  wonderfully  and  graf''"<dly  used  in 
progressing  some  improvements  in  the  building— f6r  they  were 
neither  empl<^ed  outside  nor  hauled  away. 

Whatever  may  be  the  fact  with  regard  to  Maria  Monk's  alleged 
disclosures,  those  of  our  people  who  have  read  your  papers,  are 
satisfied  in  one  point :  that  Mr.  Stone's  credibility  as  a  witness 
as  been  successfully  impeached;  that  his  examination  of  the 
Nunnery,  was  a  mere  sham ;  thiit  he  was  either  ttie  dupo  of  Je- 
suitical imposture,  or  that  he  himself  is  a  fond  impostor ;  that  he 
has  been  unwilliugly  or  ignorantly  befooled ;  and  unless  he  has 
had  a  tangible  reward,  that  he  has '  got  his  labour  for  his  pains.' 

**My  wife,  who  spent  her  childhood  in  Montreal,  says,  that  she 
and  her  schoolmates,  when  walking  the  street  near  the  Nunnery, 
often  used  to  wonder  if  the  famous  subterrauean  passage  was  un- 
der the  place  where  they  then  stood :  and  yet,  forsooth^  no  person 
in  Canada  ever  before  heard  of  it !  Whatever  may  be  the  facts 
in  relation  to  thostt  disclosure^  we  needed  not  your  paper  to  sat- 
isfy tis  either  that  Jesuits  must  be  as  holy  as  the  *  Blessed  l^brgin 
Mother*  herself  or  those  conventicles  of  unprotected  females  are 
scenes  of  the  most  damning  character.— A  Pboibbiast.** 

From  the  Lot^f  Idand  Star,  qfFeb.  Wth, 

^'EHncefhepnblicationof  our  last  paper,  we  have  recdved  a 
oommnnioation  from  Messrs.  Howe  and  Bates,  of  New  York,  the 
publishers  of  Miss  Monk's  *  Awful  Disdosnree.'    It  appears  that 


V 


AwM  BtedOBQiw  of  Haiia  HanUL 


81 


mery, 
snu- 
enon 
facts 

sat- 
ligin 

are 


souittlnflaenoe  tea  baan  at  mtk  in  tiial  tUj,  adrana  to  fha  fraa 
ezaodnatioii  of  ttia  oaaabatwaaa  her  Mid  the  iniailaof  Canada : 
for  tlins  far  fhe  newepapers  have  been  aaoBt  entireljr  eloaed  aoauut 
ewjihinginfaerdennoekWhilift  moat  cf  them  have  pabUahed 
f  alae  chai^  acpainit  the  book,  aome  of  e  prapoatenros  natore,  the 
oontradiotion  of  whioh  ia  plain  and  palpable. 

"  Betumine  to  New  York,  she  then  first  resolred  to  publish  her 
story,  which  she  has  recently  done,  after  several  intelligent  dis- 
intmested  persons  liad  satisfied  themselves  by  much  eziuninatioa 
that  it  is  true. 

When  it  became  known  in  Oanada  that  this  was  her  intention, 

nz  affidavits  were  published  in  some  of  the  newq>aper^  intended 

to  destroy  confidence  in  her  oharacter ;  but  these  were  found  very 

-  contradictory  in  several  important  points,  iemd  in  others  to  afford 

undesigned  confirmation  of  statements  before  made  by  her. 

«  On  the  publication  of  her  book,  the  New  York  Oatholio  Dairy, 
the  Truth-teller,  the  Qreen  Banner,  and  other  papers,  made  vi- 
rulent attacks  upon  i^  and  one  of  them  proposed  that  the  pub- 
lishers should  be  *  buched.'  An  anonymoas  handbill  was  also 
circulated  in  New  York,  declaring  the  worbTa  malignant  libel,  ^ot 
up  by  IVotestant  clergsrmen,  and  promising  an  ample  refutation 
of  it  in  a  few  days.  ^Diis  were  re-published  in  the  Oatholio  Dairy, 
&c.,  with  the  old  Montreal  affidavits,  which  latter  were  distn- 
buted  through  New  York  and  Brooklyn  ;  and  on  the  authority  of 
these,  several Protestuit  newspapers  denounced  the  work  as  false' 
and  inalioious. 

«  Another  charge,  quite  inconsistent  with  the  rest,  was  also 
made,  not  only  by  the  leading  Boman  Oatholic  papers,  but  by  sev- 
eral others  at  second  hand — ^viz.,  that  it  was  a  mere  copy  of  an 
old  Enroj^an  work.  This  had  been  promptly  denied  by  the  pub- 
lishers, with  the  offer  of  100  dollars  reward  tot  any  book  at  all 
resembling  it.         * 

**  Yet  such  is  the  resolution  of  some,  and  the  unbelief  of  others, 
that  it  is  impossible  for  the  publishers  to  obtain  insertion  for  the 
replies  in  the  New  York  papers  generally,  and  they  have  been 
unsuccessful  in  an  attempt  at  Philadelphia. 

"  This  is  the  ground  on  which  the  following  article  has  been 
offered  to  us^br  publication  in  the  Star.  It  was  offered  to  Mr. 
Sohneller,  a  Itoman  Priest,  and  Editor  of  the  Catholic  Dair^,  tot 
insertion  in  his  paper  of  Satrrday  before  last,  but  refus^^,  al- 
though written  expressly  aa  an  answer  to  the  affidavits  and 
charges  his  previous  number  had  contained.  This  article  has  also 
been  refused  insertion  in  a  Philadelphia  daily  paper,  after  it  been 
satisfactorily  ascertained  that  there  was  no  hope  of  gaining  ad- 
mission for  it  into  any  of  the  New  York  papers. 

"  It  should  be  stated,  in  addition,  that  the  authoress  of  the  book, 
MuiaMonk,  isiuNew  York,and  stands  ready  to  answer  any 
queltions,  and  submit  to  any  enquiries  put  in  a  proper  manner, 
and  desires  nothing  so  strongly  aa  an  opportunity  to  prove  before 
a  court  the  truth  of  her  story.  She  baa  already  found  several 
persons  of  ren>ectabiUty  who  have  confirmed  some  of  the  facts, 
important  and  likely  to  be  attested  by  ooncurraut  evidence ;  and 
much  further  testimony  in  her  favour  may  be  sooh  expected  by 
the  pnblio. 

**  With  these  facta  before  fhem,  intelUgent  readers  will  Judge 
for  themselves.  She  asks  for  investiganon,  while  her  opponents 
deny  her  every  opportunity  to  meet  the  charges  made  agaiost  her. 


or* 


Maiia  XiXBiL 


rjyg- ^^«rt«,  •»oa«  B&iroffitoiirotSS  teSi 


\ 


■  pub- 
Iumbm; 
to  9M 
.Willi, 
b^ng 


-1 


/■■'^■^ 


MISTEEnS  OF  A  CONVENT. 


Vv 


V 


i  i 


's    HI* 


«•' 


%  i 


%:      . 


THE 


i 


.  -1 


THRILLING 


3i^''5rsrr3BiizBs 


OF  A 


GOISTEIT  REVEALED ! 


PHILADELPHIA! 

T.   £.  VVSEB80IC,    101,  OBXSXRVI  SIBEBI 


M 


V 


LITERABT  NOTICE. 


*«Tlili book  will  1m  «fnlji«iigbt  fbrand  •ppioeifttodbf  •&  fhooo  rin- 
oeidy  and  ooooeiontioiuly  opp^sod  to  fho  wont  of  ^mnnloo  ikt  tyrtnu 
ny  <ifr§Hgion.  It  It  xauixuMoaMj  on*  of  tlio  boot  wwdn  tbat  bai  boon 
issued  daring  fho  nioetoeatboentarf.  Mr.PotenonbMbecaatooiuidoiw 
•bio  oq^oDN  in  gottlng  vp  tbii  Interestiiig  book)  and  wo  fott  •araiod  that 
it  will  kATonxapidMdOi  oothoroMO  Ibw  pononi  of  tho  preoont  d^r*  bat 
who  wiih  to  bo  mado  fblly  aoqoainted  with  this  impoxtaat  oaljeot.  Tbo 
author  gnqpploo  hio  labjoot  with  a  keon,  dotormiaod  intoUoot,  and  all  tho 
Mgotry,  iknatioinn,  pnusttaoa,  and  doingi  in  a  Oonyent,  aro  horo  oxpooed 
totlioIightofthonooD-day  gun.  Itisaworkofeopeoial  intetostattho 
prooont  timo.  Tho  aafhor  it  ono  of  tho  most  odobrated  Methodist  preaeh* 
ers  now  liTing^  and  what'he  exposes  and  naipteo  he  does  flrom  the  howt. 
All  should  read  and  study  ii  Itisarloh,  highlj  intoreotlng  work,  ar  ! 
tholotpprioo  at  whiehil  is  published,  will,  as  it  should,  bring  it  wttbte 
tho  zoaohof  the  tens  of  thousands  in  vntj  seottonofour  eountiythat 
should  read  it,**— IVim  Sum. 


97 


if 


THE  MYSTERIES  OF  A  CONVENT. 


OHAPTEBL 

jktttlqa*  nuuuloa— Fhmny  portraiti— Count  of  it.  Avbjii— lathtr  and 

daughter. 

Towards  the  oIom  of  the  laat  oentory,  there  itood,  within  a  few 
milei  of  Paria,  an  andent,  most-grown  ehatean,  emboaomed  in 
oaks,  whose  snarled  limbs.  coTered  with  mistletoe,  gave  eyidenoe 
of  their  antiqnitj,  and  showed  that  they  had  battled  against 
manj  a  fierce  onset  of  the  elements. 

This  renerable  pile,  with  the  ample  and  handsome  demesne  in 
whose  midst  it  stood,  was  the  family  seat  of  the  Oonnts  of  St 
Anbyn,  through  whose  loug  line  of  suooession  it  had  deaoended 
from  sue  to  son,  in  spite  of  politioal  conyulsions  which  had  shaken 
the  State  to  it  Tory  fonndatious.  Every  thing  about  tiie  build- 
ing wore  the  impress  of  time.  The  furniture,  throughout  its  al- 
most numberless  rooms,  was  of  the  most  antique  fashion,  and 
had  been  presenred  with  great  care,  indeed  with  a  sort  of  super- 
stitious roTerenoe.  Over  the  spacious  fire-place  in  the  great  din- 
ing hall,  which  had  so  often  rung  with  the  voice  of  revelry,  was 
snsjpended  the  once  brilliantly  illuminated,  but  now  discoloured, 
pemgree  of  the  family ;  while  upon  the  oaken  panelled  walls 
were  hung  suits  of  mail,  and  implements  of  war  and  of  the  chase, 
many  of  which  were  of  the  most  primitive  and  curious  construc- 
tion. In  Tarious  parts  of  the  building  were  to  be  found  portraits 
of  those  members  of  the  family  who  had  been  remarkable  for 
achierements  on  the  battle  field,  or  in  the  tournament ;  for  learn- 
ing, fbr  statesmanship,  or  for  personal  beauty:  the  mailed  war- 
rior, the  tilting  knight,  the  gr9.vo  couneiilor  of  state,  the  robed 
priest,  and  the  toTely  oelle  of  h*u  day.  In  the  chapel,  the  floors 
and  widlewere  covered  with  marble  tablets  and  monuments, 
whose  bass-relief  s  and  inscriptions  declared  tbe  honours  of  the 
race  in  bygone  days  ;  while  in  the  library  was  carefully  preserv- 
ed an  andenl  Tolume  of  vellum,  heavily  bound,  and  clasped  with 
brass,  upon  whose  broad  pages  the  chaplains  of  the  family  had 
been  wont  to  record  the  history  of  the  suocesdve  counts.  An  old 
oaken  chest,  which  stood  in  one  comer  of  this  room,  fhu  flUed 
with  musty  rolls  ahd  moth-eaten  parchments,  that  told  many  a 
ourious  taie,  and  contained  the  evidence  of  many  a  dark  trans- 
action. 

GharleSitheOountof  St.  Aq^vn,  at  the  period  when  our  story 
opens,  had  distinguished  himself  in  the  wars  of  France,  and  had 
fought  many  a  well-contested  battled;  but  haTing,  in  uie  laat  of 
thes^  received  a  dangerous  wound  which  wholly  incapaoitated 
him  for  the  further  service  of  his  oountiy,  in  the  amy,  he  had  re- 
tired to  hie  patrimonii  residenee,  wlune  he  spent  mndi  of  hit 
time  in  supenntending  the  education  of  his  only  dauj^hter,  Louies^ 


100 


Iffsterlei  of  a  OonTeni 


a  bMvttfol  ibl,  now  in  btr  tightMoth  yttr ;  bit  itmtiiiiBff  !•!• 
•nra  btliig  diTottd  to  tho  mMMgomonl  m  hia  wtoto^  and  to  ooiait 
intrigiio. 

Natonllj  of  a  ooM,  haagbty,  and  tTrannioal  diipotitloB,  wbidf 
bis  long  otNor  as  a  miUtaiy  l«ad«r  bad  by  no  moans  abatod,  bnt| 
on  tbo  oontrary,  bad  groatly  aggraTatod ;  oxoossivoly  Tain  of  Ua 
anooatry  ;  impatlont  of  all  oontradiotion,  and  ambiUoni  of  powar 
and  prtfennout ;  Count  St.  Aubyn  was  bat  ill  pnparad  for  tba 
aooomplisbniont  of  a  task  wbiob  bad  boon  oarW  doToWod  upon 
bim  by  tho  doatb  of  tbo  oonotoss,  soon  after  giTiog  birtb  to  Lo- 
uisa ;  and  tbis  task  was  rsndered  tbo  mors  dilBioalt  by  btr  in- 
beritanot  of  btr  fathtr't  traits  of  obaraottr ;  and  by  tbt  faot  tbal» 
wbilt  abstnt  from  homo  in  tho  serriot  of  bis  oountoy,  bo  bad  oon* 
fldtd  bis  daughter  to  tho  oart  of  a  maidtn  aunt,  who  waa  too  in- 
doltnt  to  take  any  iuttreit  iu  what  so  nearly  oonoemed  her  neioa,. 
and  to  the  ohapwn  of  the  family— a  Boman  Oatholio  priest— wbo 
thought  that  any  knowledge  beyond  that  of  the  breriary  waa 
wholly  utelesa  for  a  young  and  beautif ul  girl,  aole  heiress  to  a 
noble  name  and  prinoely  estate.  Possessing,  bowerer,  an  inouir* 
log  mind  and  great  natural  talents,  Louise  spent  muob  of  her 
time,  from  the  age  of  twelve  years,  hi  ber  father's  library ;  read- 
ing sueh  books  as  suited  her  fanoy,  and  especially  delighting  in 
the  perusal  of  the  rolume  of  Telfum  whioh  contained  the  his- 
tory of  her  ancestors.  Finding,  too,  the  key  whioh  unlocked  the 
old  oaken  chest,  khe  OMtrlv  pored  oyer  the  contents  of  its  time- 
rasted  parchments.  At  other  times,  she  would  rabble  over  tbo 
gloomy  pile,  passing  from  room  to  room,  spendiuff  hours  in  look- 
ing at  the  family  pictures  which  smiled  or  frowned  upon  ber  ftrom 
the  walls,  and  in  examining  the  curiously  wrougbt  tapestry  with 
whioh  some  of  the  rooms  were  draped ;  or,  golog  forth  into  tbo 
forest  near  the  chateau,  she  would  stroll  from  plaoe  to  place,  as 
ber  fancy  dictated,  or  sit  by  the  side  of  the  rippling  stream,  lost 
in  Inight  musings,  engendered  by  the  works  of  fiction  she  had 
read.  Oompanionship  she  had  none.  saTo  when,  after  supper,  she 
entered  the  senranVs  ball,  where  sne  would  sit  until  midnight, 
listening  to  tho  le^nds  wnich  were  recited  to  ber  hj  the  old  re- 
tainers of  the  famiW,  who  had  spent  more  than  half  a  century  in 
the  household,  and  by  those  who  had  accompanied  her  father  to 
the  wars,  liien,  retiring  to  ber  room,  with  her  imagination 
wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch,  she  would  lie  awake  for  hours. 
Thus  raised  unti)<i4^e  had  passed  her  seTonteenth  Tear,  it  is  not 
wonderful  that  when  Gount  St.  Aubyn,  himself,  undertook  to  au- 

{3erintend  the  education  of  his  daughter,  he  should  find  her  mind 
n  chaotic  oonf usion,  and  her  disposition  wilful  and  impatient  of 
all  restraint. 

Fortunately  for  both  of  them,  the  protracted  illness  oontequent 
upon  the  seTore  wound  that  he  had  received  in  his  last  battie,  and 
during  which  Louise  had  nursed  her  father  with  the  greatest  af- 
fection and  tenderness,  scarcely  ever  leaving  his  bedsicM,hmd  serv- 
ed greatly  to  attach  them  to  each  other,  preparatoi^  to  thosa 
oollisions  of  temper  whioh  were  auxe  to  be  the  reeult  of  tbt  aato- 
dation,  at  teaober  and  pupil,  of  two  peraons  so  nnbapinly  oon- 
atituted  aa  Louise  and  the  Count.  In  spite  of  this,  however, 
aeenea  fireqnentiy  occurred  in  the  Libraiy,  durini?  the  tnree  years 
which  were  aptnt  bv  them,  in  thia  relation,  wbidi  would  bMrgar 
disoription;  tbt  father  in  a  storm  of  wrath ;  and  the  danguter 


lyBtaries  of  a  OonTani 


101 


•lUnaMj  ww|rfog  pMiionatolf,  ud  fhta  iuraliif  mon  litr  m« 
MnL  with  all  tb«  iury  of  mi  nnsoTtnuibl*  .wirit.  liidoiDitablt 
fai  hu  pnrpoM,  howoTtr,  th«  Ooont  bad  at  5«nRth  toooMdad,  to 
■oma  aztont  at  laait,  in  bringiiiK  LooiM  into  ■ubjection  !o  biairoa 
will,  whan  aranta  oeounad  wbioh  ebangad  tba  wnolw  tanor  olbar 
Ufa,  and  ttarraHonsly  ihapad  bar  f utnra  daatiuy.  A  raoital  of 
tbaaa  wa  ihaU  dafar  to  tba  nast  obaptar. 


oon- 


OHAFTBB  n. 

BfMits  fitnthadowed— A  daughter's  anstety— A  iMiia  of  terrpr— Tb«  Tle< 
tim'a  doom— Th«  daughter's  horror. 

Causes  had  been  in  operation,  for  ^aars,  tending  to  rarolntion  and 
bloodshed  in  Franca :— oaosas  which  it  it  the  proTinoa,  not  of  ti^a 
writer,  but  of  the  historian,  to  trace  and  to  record.  Tbatrem- 
bUngs  and  ominous  muttenngs  of  the  glaciers  had  long  been  felt 
and  beard :— good  men,  and  there  were  a  few,  had  stood  ashast, 
aa  the  earth  reeled  beneath  their  feet,  in  fearful  azpectatfon  of 
■ndden  and  dire  catastrophe  ;  bad  men,  and  their  name  was  la- 
gion,  bad,  with  malicious  exultation,  looked  forward  to  mighty 
upheavings  of  popular  exci^ment,  which  should  benefit  them  by 
the  change  they  should  effect,  be  that  change  what  it  might,  and 
ruin  whom  it  would.  At  length,  the  mountain  masses  are  loosen- 
ed ;  tiia  aTalabche  descends,  crashing,  crushing,  destroying,  in  its 
downward  rush,  life,  honour,  fortune,— all  that  it  had  cost  tba 
labourers  of  centuries  to  rear :— >at  one  fell  blow,  civil  goyemment, 
the  rights  of  man,  religion,  are  overwhelmed  in  one  undistinguish- 
able  mass  of  utter  ruin ;  while  auarohv,  cruelty,  and  impiety,  sit 
enthroned  in  gloomy  grandeur  apd  the  wide-spread  desolation, 
wearing  a  triple  crown,  baptized  in  the  blood  of  more  than  a  mil- 
lion of  victims ;— fit  emblem  of  that  worn  by  "  Babylon  the  grstUf 
the  Mother  of  harlots,  and  abominations  qf  the  earth  j"  which 
would  exalt  thus  to  sit  gloating  upon  the  ruins,  not  of  one  pro- 
vince or  state  only  but  of  all  the  world ;  while  the  wailings,  not 
of  infidel  France  alone,  but  of  Prpteatantiam  every  where,  should 
come  welling  up  as  sweetest  melody  in  her  ears. 

Oonnt  St.  Aul>yo»— CSount  no  longer,  for  titles  of  honour  had 
been  abolished,— was  not  one  of  those  who  could  be  inert  or  in- 
active at  such  a  crisis  as  this ;  and  soon  rendered  himself  obnoxi- 
ous to  the  fury  of  the  *'  Inftrnal  TriurmiraU*'  He  had,  of  late, 
been  frequently  absent  from  home,  during  the  day,  but  bad  al- 
ways returned,  at  night,  for  tba  protection  of  his  daughter.  At 
length,  however,  he  came  not,  as  usual ;  and  Louise  felt  greatly 
^  alarmed,  for  she  was  apprised  of  passing  events,  as  they  occurred 
'  from  day  to  day.  She  went  to  ue  great  ball  door,  and,  looking 
out  upon  the  darkness,  waited  long  and  anxiously  for  her  father's 
return  bjit  he  came  not.  She  sent  messengers  to  the  citv,  that 
she  might,  if  possible,  learn  what  had  befallen  him.  The  old 
eloek,  which  stood  in  the  hall,  and  whose  tickings  seemed  to  vi- 
brate through  her  every  nerve,  at  last  told  the  hour  of  midnight. 
Still  be  came  not,  nor  had  her  messengers  returned.  She  knew 
not  what  to  do,  nor  where  to  send ;  she  feared  tba  worst,  yet  bop- 
ad  hourly  for  her  fathar^a  arrival.     Waaried  and  exhausted  by 


133 


,  Mysteries  of  a  Oonrent 


anxiety,  m  w«11  m  chilled  by  the  damp  ni^ht  alir,  she  went  to  her 
loom,  and  tried  to  oompoae  henelf^  but  in  vain ;  the  old  cloek 
oontioued  to  sound  forth,  from  its  iron  throat,  hour  after  hour, 
and  still  her  father,— whom  she  loved,  in  spite  o..  their  ontbursta 
ei  temper  iu  the  past, — her  father  oame  not.  Hastily  summon- 
ing her  maid,  she  bade  her  descend  to  the  servants'  hall,  and  or- 
der the  coachman  to  get  ready  the  carriage ;  and,  just  as  the  day 
broke,  she  threw  herself  into  it,  and,  saying,  "  To  the  city/'  lean- 
ed heavily  upon  the  cushions,  in  a  perfect  fever  of  excitement. 

It  was  already  seven  o'clock  when  she  reached  the  gates  of  Pa- 
ris; and  here  fresh  difficulties  arose  in  her  path.  She  was  refused 
admittuice ;  but,  opportunely  for  her,  a  friend  of  her  father,  who 
had  some  iufluence  with  the  guard,  arrived  just  at  the  moment, 
and  succeeded  in  bribing  him  to  let  her  pass;  the  stipulation  be- 
ing made,  however,  that  the  carriage  should  remain  outside  the 
barrier,  and  that  she  should  enter  the  city,  alone  and  on  foot,  so 
as  to  attract  no  observation. 

What  a  scene  met  her  gaze,  on  her  entrance  into  the  thorough- 
fares through  which  she  had  repeatedly  passed  before,  a  light- 
hearted  maiden,  richly  appareled,  seated  iu  the  old  family  coach, 
by  the  side  of  her  father,  the  Count ;  of  whose  dignified  and  com- 
manding appearance  she  was  so  justly  proud.  Now,  alone,  on 
foot,  and,  happily  for  her  own  safety,  but  indifferently  dad,  with 
her  neart  pslpitating  under  the  iufluence  of  fear  and  anxiety,  she 
had  to  make  her  way  through  a  dense  mass  of  human  beings, 
heaving  and  rolling  like  the  waves  of  the  ocean,  when  moved  by 
the  storm.  Here  were  men,  drunken  with  excitement  and  iutox- 
icated  with  power,  for  the  mob  ruled— drunken  men  uttering  the 
most  awful  blasphemies,  and  crying,  in  tones  which  called  the 
very  soul  within  her,  "  Blood  I  Blood.  More  Blood  /"  Here 
were  woman  with  dishevelled  hair  ;  torn  and  ragged  dresses,  be- 
smeared with  blood ;  counteuances  haggard  and  pale  for  want  of 
food  ;women  blaspheminfr,  and  crying,  iu  accents  of  despair— 
"  Bread  I  Bread,  Down  with  the  Aristocrats —give  vs  bread,  or 
we  die.**  There  the  infuriated  crowd  was  making  a  bonfire  of 
the  elegant  but  broken  furniture  which  had  just  been  taken  from 
a  neighbouring  mansion — that  mansion  in  flames ;  while  another 

i>arty  was  dragging  to  the  guillotine  the  late  owner  of  this  prince- 
y  establishment— his  only  crime,  perhaps,  his  wealth.  A  few 
steps  further  on,  and  she  beheld  some  unfortunate  being  hanging, 
lifeness,  from  a  lamp-post;  and  advancing  but  a  short  dis^ce 
boyond,  she  encounters  a  dead  body,  lying  upon  the  pavement, 
with  its  ghastly,  upturned  features,  ground  by  the  heel  of  some 
ruffian,  until  they  could  not  be  distinguished.  Blood,  blood,  blood 
—every  where ;  in  the  street ;  on  the  pavement ;  standing  in  great 

guddles,  running  in  the  gutters,  spattered  upon  the  wuls  in  the 
ouses,  staining  the  faces  and  garments  of  the  populace ;  blood 
crying  to  heaven  for  vengeance  upon  the  regicides,  the  homicides. 
O,  it  was  a  horrible  spectacle  ~a  sight  to  have  sickened  her  wo- 
man's heart — a  sight  which  she  never  forgot,  and  which  myste- 
riously affected  her  whole  after  life,  as  it  stood  in  connexion  with 
the  event  of  that  morning,  which  froze  that  heart  to  stone,  and 
for  ever  dried  up  that  kindly  emotion.  Drawing  her  shawl  close- 
ly about  her  person,  and  stopping  from  time  to  time  to  recover 
herself,  as  in  the  swajrings  to  and  fro  of  the  maddened  crowd,  she 
was  now  hurried  rapidly  forward,  and  now  almoi^  hurried  to  the 


HiysteilflB  of  ft  OmiTpti 


103 


gronad.  BbeluidioooeodediiipftMiDg  fhtoofl^  ivranl  itreet& 
as  yet  unhurmed,  when,  on  sadcMnly  taming  a  ooroer,  ihe  stood 
in  loll  Yiew  of  the  guillotine ;  aroand  whieh  wm  gathered  a  mot- 
ley mnltitadewof  men,  women,  and  oLiidren,  all  Todferating  that 
tenible  017—*'  Blood  I  blood  r'  One  glance  snffioed  to  tell  her 
that  she  had  found  her  fathier.  but  undwr  what  fearful  dronrn- 
stances.  There  he  stood  er(>ct  ppon  the  scaffold,  casting. a  look 
of  dignified  defiance  upon  the  surging  mob,  thirsting  for  his  life. 
A.  moment  more,  and  he.  who  had  nerer  feared  deau  upon  the 
battle  field,  calmly  lays  his  head  upon  the  block.  SpelUbound, 
Louise  sees  the  fatal  knife  descend  with  lightning  speed,  but  she 
sees  no  more :  with  one  wild  shriek  of  agony  she  falls  swooning 
upon  the  hard  stones ;  the  last  link  severed  which  bound  her  in 
sympathy  to  her  race. 


ose- 
over 
she 
the 


CHAFTEBin. 

Betuming  consciovBness— Loaise  the  orphan— A  friend  in  need— Oennine 
sympathy—  Disinterested  generosity. 

Oh  recovering  from  the  state  of  insensibility  into  which  she  had 
been  thrown  by  the  dreadful  spectacle  that  she  had  witnessed, 
she  was  surprised  to  find  herself  on  a  low  pallet,  in  a  small  and 
iU-furnishea  apartment,  with  a  female  bending  oyer  her,  whom 
she  did  not  recollect  to  have  seen  before,  busily  engaged  in  chaf- 
ing her  temples. 

**  Where  am  I P"  cried  the  unhappy  girl.  "  O,  where  ain  I,  and 
where  is  my  dear  father  P  I  have  had  such  a  horrible  dream  I  I 
thought  I  saw  my  father  lay  his  head  upon  the  bloody  block — 
that  I  saw  his  gray  hairs  floating  on  the  breeze,  and  then — ^Isaw 
that  terrible  knife— but  tell  me,  O,  tell  me,"  she  added,  eagerly 
grasping  the  arm  of  the  stranger,  **  have  I  been  dreaming,  or  is  it, 
indeed,  a  fearful  reality  P  Speak,  I  entreat  you,  for  my  poor  head 
reels  so,  that  I  cannot  remember  any  thing." 

The  good  woman  sought  to  soothe  her,  and  to  evade  the  ques- 
tion; telling  her  how  important  it  was  for  her  to  be  quiet ;  but 
all  her  benevolent  efforts  were  in  vain.  Louise  pressea  the  ques- 
tion, until,  finding  it  was  still  evaded,  she  screamed  in  agony — 

'*Then,  indeed,  it  was  no  dream.  They  have  murdered  my  poor 
father.  Take,  O  take  me  to  himl"  and  again  fell  back  ^hausted 
and  faint  upon  the  couch. 

Her  kind  hostess  again  succeeded  in  restoring  her  to.consdous- 
ness ;  and  then,  in  spite  of  all  entreaties,  refused  to  answer  any 
questions,  until  she  could  have  tried  to  sleep. 

Louise,  fully  aware  of  her  loss,  and  that  she  was  truly  an  orphan, 
for  her  father  had  been  cruelly  murdered  before  her  eyes ;  her  mo- 
ther had  died  in  giving  her  birth ;  and  she  had  not  a  blood  rela- 
tive in  all  France ;  wrung  her  hands  in  silent  agony,  and  tossed 
from  side  to  side  upon  the  bed,  until  at  length  wearied  nature 
vielded  to  the  soft  impulse  of  sleep :  and  she  lay,  for  four  or  five 
hours,  in  unoonsdousuess  of  the  sorrows  whidi  had  settled  down 
upon  ner  young  spirit,  like  a  pall  of  darkness. 

While  she  thus  sleeps,  it  may  be  as  well  to  inform  the  reader, 
that,  when  Louise  uttered  the  cry  of  horror,  and  swooned  in  the 


m 


MyBteiieB  of  a  Oonfe&i 


street,  on  Mdng  her  fftfher  guillotined,  there  itood  not  far  fi^m 
her  in  the  oroira,  an  old  eolaier,  in  the  dreae  of  a  labourer,  who, 
httraoted  by  her  aoream,  and  looking  upon  her  f  aoe,  diacoTered  in 
her  the  daughter  of  his  old  general,  the  Oount  St.  Aubyn,  whose 
blood  was,  at  that  moment  streaming  from  tiie  neighbouring 
scaffold.  Hastily  seising  the  poor  girl,  as  she  lay  upon  the  pate- 
ment,  her  dress  stained  with  we  onmson  fluid,  whioh  stood  in 
puddles  all  about  her,  he  raised  her  in  his  arms,  while  the  rushing 
crowd  seamed  ready  to  trample  them  both  beneath  their  impa- 
tient feet;  and,  forcing  a  passage,  with  his  brawny  shoulder, 
through  the  hesTing  masses  of  human  beings,  who  appeared  to 
be  demons  incarnate  keeping  their  infernal  holiday  on  the  s^een 
earth,  whioh  blushed  in  blood,  he  made  his  way  as  oest  he  might, 
until,  turning  into  a  by^street  which  was  lew  thronged  than  &at 
through  whidi  he  had  passed,  he  presently  reached  the  outskLrts 
of  the  citv.  and  arriTed  at  his  own  humble  dwelling.  Here  de* 
positing  ms  unconscious  burthen  upon  the  bed,  and  bidding  his 
wife  take  care  of  the  stranffer,  until  his  return,  he  went  forth, 
and,  goinff  to  a  restaurant,  nought  a  loaf  of  bread  and  &  bottle  of 
wine,  with  which  he  hastened  home  ;  the  shouts  of  the  maddened 
multitude,  from  a  distance,  even  now  and  then  fallinff  upon  his 
ear,  as  victim  after  victim  sank  beneath  the  stroke  of  the  guillo- 
tipe.  Accustomed  as  he  had  been  to  the  mingled  cries  of  the  bat- 
tle-field, and  to  scenes  of  carnage,  there  was  something  inexpres- 
sibly dreadful  to  him  in  these  fiendish  shouts  of  citiaens  imbru- 
ing their  handil  ih  each  other's  blood,  and  in  the  wild  excitement 
of  neighbours  fighting  against  their  neighbours,  in  mortal  strife 
and  deadly  hatred. 

On  re-entering  his  dwelling,  he  found  Louise  sleeping  disturb- 
edly,  and,  seating  himself  by  the  side  of  his  wife,  proceeded  to  re* 
late  to  her  the  events  of  the  morning,  and  to  mf orm  her  who 
their  guest  was. 

Presently  Louise  awoke,  and,  heaving  a  deep  sigh,  cast  a  hur- 
ried glance  from  one  to  the  other  of  the  strangers  who  sat  near 
her  bedside^  as  if  to  inquire  where  she  was,  and  who  they  were. 

With  a  kmdness  and  consideration  that  would  have  done  hon- 
our to  those  who  make  greater  pretensions  to  refinement  than 
this  humble  couple,  Marie— for  this  was  the  good  woman's  name 
--approached  Louise,  and,  placing  her  hand  affectionately  upon 
h^r  forehead,  from  whioh,  as  well  as  from  her  hair  and  dress,  all 
stains  had  been  carefully  removed  while  she  had  been  sleeping, 

Eressed  her  to  take  some  nourishment,  and  placed  before  her  the 
read  and  wine  which  the  old  soldier  has  brought  home.  Louise 
succeeded  in  taking  a  little  of  both,  and  then,  thanking  her  kind 
but  unknown  frienas,  begged  they  would  satisfy  the  enquiries  of 
her  mind. 

Pierre  Loubat— her  generous  preserver— then  proceeded  to  roi- 
late  what  had  oocirred  during  the  init»rval  of  her  unconscious- 
ness, and  assured  her  that,  as  long  as  she  desired  it,  his  house, 
humble  as  it  was,  should  be  her;  home  ;  adding  that  her  father, 
under  whom  he  had  served  in  the  army,  had  saved  his  life  on  the 
battie-field ;  and  that,  while  he  had  an  arm  to  raise,  it  should  be 
outstretched  for  her  protection. 

"  Thanks,  most  kind  friends,"  replied  Louise,  who,  while  lis- 
tening to  tiie  good  Pierre,  had  covered  her  face  with  her  hands ; 
the  heaving  <^  her  bosom,  and  the  tears  as  they  fell  upon  her 


Myi^des  of  &  Gtmyeni 


105 


dftai,  meanwbiitt  t\h.  ^  her  deep  emotion ;  **  a  poor  ofphau, 
for  tndr  laoh  I  am,  <?ik.  auot  reward  you.  for  your  beneyolenoe  to 
lier,  bin  may  that  God  who  hae  promised  to  be  a  father  to  th^  fa* 
therleai,  poor  npon  yoa  hie  choioeat  blesrion." 

**  Speak  not  of  reward,"  was  the  prompt  and  feeling  response 
of  the  labourer :  **  yonr  noble  father  has  laid  me  under  eternal 
obligations,  and  it  is  but  a  poor  return  to  befriend  his  child.  You 
have  only  to  command  my  serrioes,  to  secure  them  in  any  way 
you  may  require." 

'* But  tell  me,"  he  presently  added,  ''are  there  none  of  yonr 
relations  in  the  city,  to  whom  you  would  like  to  send  a  mes8ag«« 
bynleP*' 

Louise  shuddered  as  this  question  fell  npon  her  ear ;  and,  with 
a  fresh  gush  of  tears,  replied,  *'  Alas,  I  have  not  a  blood  relative 
on  earth.  My  parents  are  both  dead ;  and  I  know  not  another 
being,  l^sldes  myself,  la  whose  veins  flows  the  blood  of  the  St. 
Aubyns." 

'*  £ut  your  father  must  have  had  many  friends  in  Paris,  who 
would  be  glad  to  be  of  service  to  you  now." 

"  My  father  had  friends,  while  in  prosperity ;  but  now  that  he 
is  dead,  and  bv  means  of  the  guillotine,  who  would  dare  to  be- 
friend his  cnild  P  To  apply  to  them,  would  be  but  to  throw  my- 
self upon  the  same  block,  and  to  meet  the  same  fate." 

^  Tne  Virgin  forbid  1"  exclaimed  Marie,  devoutly  crossing  her- 
self. 

"Alas!  poor  younjo;  lady,"  said  Pierre,  in  tones  of  heartfelt 
sympathy,  "  how  sad  is  your  condition  1  Be  assured,  at  least,  that 
neither  Maria  nor  I  will  ever  desert  or  betray  you." 

A  fresh  burst  of  grief  was  the  only  response  that  Louise  could 
make. 

At  length,  as  though  a  sudden  thought  had  crossed  her  mind 
she  asked, 

<•  Do  you  know  M.  De  Montmain,  the  banker  P" 

"  I  know  where  he  lives,"  replied  he. 

"  You  will  greatly  oblige  me  then,"  said  Louise,  "  if  you  wiS 
go  to  his  house,  to-morrow  morning;  and  say  to  liim,  that  the 
daughter  of  the  Count  St  Aubyn  would  be  glad  to  see  him  here, 
for  a  few  minutes,  on  business." 

"I  will  most  cheerfully,"  quickly  returned  Pierre,  as  if  it  did 
his  noble  heart  good  to  have  an  opportunity  of  redeeming  his  pro- 
mise to  the  poor  orphan. 

Here  Ms,ne  interposed,  and,  insisting  ih4t  Louise  should  be 
left  to  seek  rest,  made  arrangements  for  the  night,  and,  giving  up 
their  own  bed  to  her,  retired  to  a  little  room  adjoining  that  iu 
which  she  was  to  sleep. 


lis- 
.her 


OHAPTEB  IV. 

Eind-hearted  tMmker— Noble  resolve— A  generous  proposal— Obligation 
returned— A  tbankfku  beart. 

Ox  the  following  morning,  at  an  earlv  hour,  Pierre  called  at  the 
residence  of  M.  de  Montmain,  and  having  with  some  difficulty, 
Booceeded  in  seeing  the  banker,  informed  him  that  a  young  tadj 


'     ^\S.)^ 


m 


HjysteriflB  of  a  OoATOit 


wiihad  to  w  Maa,  on  bariimi,  at  No.  58,  Boo  do  Kantoi,  wul 
thotif  howonldgowithhioBfOrioy  whm  it  would  rait  hii  ooor 
yanienoe  to  nuke  tho  ealL  ho  would  thow  him  tlio  woy. 

**  But  my  good  friend,  replied  the  hanker, "  you  hnre  not  .Gld 
mo  her  name ;  ind  theie,  yon  are  aware,  are  not  timee  for  •  man 
in  my  litnatimi  to  be  oalling  on  nameloMdanuele,  limply  heeanae 
they  ezi«eM  a  dedre  to  lee  him.    Who  is  thie  unknown  ladv  P" 

**  The  daughter  of  General  St.  Aubyn,  who  was  gnillotinedyee- 
terday,"  answered  Pierre,  bowing  -  respectfully,  and  bmihing 
away  a  tear  from  his  eye. 

**  The  daughter  of  Genieral  St.  Aubyn,  who  was  guillotined  ves- 
lerday  I"  slowly  repeated  M.  do  Montmain,  looking  fixedly  t%»oa 
Pierre.    *<  Impossible  I"  added  he,  "  How  oame  she  there  P' 

**  I  carried  her  there  on  my  shoulder,  from  afiu  the  scaffold  on 
which  she  had  seen  her  noble  father  perish,"  answered  Fierro ; 
"  and  I  intend  to  protect  her  with  my  own  life,  now  that  she  ie 
an  orphan,  without  home,  and  without  friends."  As  he  said  this, 
the  good  soldier  drew  himself  up  to  his  full  height,  and  looked  as 
though  he  saw  before  him  some  one  who  had  intentions  of  injury 
towards  his  young  protest 

The  hanker  saw  the  no\)le  bearins  of  the  reteran,  and,  reading 
the  devotion  to  her  interests  which  no  had  unconsciously  betray- 
ed, took  him  warmly  by  the  hand,  exclaiming, 

**Noble«hearted  man,  the  great  Gk>d  will  oless  you  for  this 
kindnets  to  the  orphan.  Come,  show  the  way  to  your  house ;  I 
will  follow  you*  anywhere." 

Advancing  hastily  along  the  less^trequented  streets ;  for  no  one, 
wholiad  anything  at  stake,  loved,  in  those  troublous  days,  to  lin- 
ger by  the  way,  or  to  mingle  with  the  orowd ;  the  banker  and  the 
old  soldier  soon  reached  the  dwelling  of  the  latter,  and  were  sea* 
ted  by  the  bed  of  Louise,  who  was  too  feeble  to  arise. 

M.  do  Hontmaiu  immediately  recognised  the  daughter  of  the 
deceased  (General,  whose  features  she  bore  very  distinctly,  and 
whom,  indeed,  he  had  once  seen  at  her  father's;  and,  addressing 
her  in  tones  full  of  sympathy  and  kindness,  asked  if  he  oould  in 
any  way  serve  the  child  of  his  old  friuid. 

**I  am  an  orphan,  and  destitute"— replied  Louise,  her  utterance 
almost  chokea^with  emotion— '*  and  having  no  home  to  which  I 
can  safely  repair,  while  I  am  willing  to  become  a  bnrdmi  to  these 
kind-hearted  people,  who  have  savM  my  life,  and  perhaps,  at 
least,  my  honour,  I  have  sent  for  you,  M.  do  ICentmain,  to  know 
if  my  father,  at  tiie  time  of  his  deathj  had  any  money  in  your 
handt'^  and  u  in  any  way  I  can,  as  his  sole  survivor,  obtain  that 
money,  or  any  portion  of  it  P" 

"There  are  in  my  hands,  belonging  to  the  estate  of  your  kte 
father,  18,000  francs;"  replied  the  banker—*'  but  you  are  aware. 
Mademoiselle,  tha^  in  times  like  these,  it  is  impossible  to  foresee 
what  may  happen,  as  well  as  to  ttfke  any  legal  steps,  to  aeoureto 
you  the  mhentance  ;  besides,  if  it  were  Imown  to  the  government 
that  this  amount  were  now  standing  on  my  books  to  the  credit  of 
Qeneral  St.  Aubyn,  it  woujd  be  seised  upon  immediately,  and  con* 
fiscated  to  the  purposes  of  the  State.  In  this  dilemma,  it  is  very 
difficult  to  determine  what  is  best  to  be  done." 

Having  said  this,  the  banker  sat  for  some  time  in  deep  thought ; 
at  length  raising  his  eyes  from  the  floor,  upon  which  they  had 
been  intently  fixed,  he  said, 


llystflrieB  of  a  Gtmrent. 


107 


**  I  will  tdl  joa  what  I  will  do,  ICademofawU*  LoiUm  :  I  am  undw 
obiimtiims  to  your  exoaUmit  father  for  adTanoot  iraoo  nm  in  uy 
biuueii^  whan  1  greatly  needed  them.  This  money  ia  rightfolly 
yooM,  independent  of  all  legal  prooeedines.  whioh  are  now  «a 
oohtm entirely  oatof  the qnestion :  but eignteen thonaand francs « 
iialwgeanmof  money,  andif  itwc^  disooverad,  alter  I  had 
paid  it  over  t6  yon,  that  it  was  in  my  possessien  subsequent  to 
the  General's  death,  the  Gk>Terumeutmight  oonfiscate  that  amount 
of  mj  funds,  and  hold  me  responsible  for  the  entire  aum.  But 
you  need  money,  and  must  have  it ;  I  will,  therefore,  in  the  oourse 
of  two  hours  from  this  time,  pay  you  the  sum  of  ten  thousand 
franoee.  and  take  your  receipt  for  that  amount,  together  with  a 
bond  (a  indemnity  against  any  loss  that  I  may  sustain  by  theaet, 
payable  out  of  the  estate ;  should  the^  troublous  timea  ever  pass 
away,  and  men's  right  be  once  more  respected  and  established. 
The  remainder  to  be  left  in  my  hands,  subject  to  the  establish^ 
menL  at  some  future  time,  of  your  claims,  as  heiress  of  your  fa- 
ther/' 

**  Ton  have  my  thanks,  M.  de  Montmain,  for  this  generous  o/- 
fer,"  said  Louise,  in  tones  which  at  once' evinced  her  surprise  at 
the  generosity  of  the  banker,  and  the  relief  which  it  afforded  to 
her  mind.  **  I  will  most  cheerfully  sign  any  writing  you  may  re- 
quire, and  ahall  consider  myself  under  obligations  to  one  who  haa 
manifested  so  much  honesty  and  true  kindness  of  heart.*' 

into  buiker  hastened  home,  and,  retotning  in  about  an  hour, 
plaoed  in  Louise's  hands  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  francs  in  gold, 
tiJdng  the  necessary  papers  to  secure  himself  from  loss,  ha  far,  at 
least,  as  posdble,  under  the  circumstances ;  and,  assuring  hef  of 
his  readiness  at  all  times  to  serve  her,  for  the  sake  of  her  father, 
he  bade  her  adien,  and  left  the  house. 

Louise  at  once  called  the  good  Pierre  to  her,  and,  counting  into 
his  lumd,  in  spite  of  all  his  remonstrances,  five  hundred  fnncs, 
desired  him  to  consider  them  as  his  own,  and  to  take  the  remain- 
der into  his  safe  keeping,  for  her  use.    Itia  unnecessary  to  add 
'  that  the  trust  was  never  betrayed. 


OHAPTEB  V. 

* 

\  A   confi»rteb1e  retreat— Retribution—  The  peaaant  sirPs  victim— Blood  for 
blood— The  chieliB  reoeive  their  merited  doom— The  orphan's  outse. 

EiasTBEir  months  rolled  away,  and  still  found  Louise  an  inmate 
of  the  same  family  which  had  first  afforded  her  protection.  They 
lived^iot  in  the  same  house,  however :  for  she  had  insisted  upon 
their  taking  one  somewhat  larger  and  more  comfortable,  at  her 
eipense,  while  it  was  at  tho  same  time  less  exposed  to  the  pofing 
eye  of  curiosity,  and  her  safety  was,  tlierefore,  rendered  ^the 
greater.  The  good  Marie  ministered  to  all  her  wants,  and  sub- 
mitted to  all  her  caprices;  while  Pierre  daily  brought  her  the 
news  from  the  city. 

Meanwhile,  the  first  of  that  "Infernal  Triumvirate"  which  had 
condemned  her  father  to  death  by  the  guillotine,  and  had  deluged 
Franoe  with.the  blood  of  her  citizens,  had  fallen  beneath  the  knife 
of  Ute  peasant  girl,  who  putting  aside  the  weakness  of  her  sex* 


108 


HysterieB  of  a  C(m?eni 


And  clothing  htnclf  with  anthuiMtio  devotioii  to  th»  iatiiirtt  of 
her  natiTe  ami,  bared  her  arm  in  the  name  of  Vreedoin,  and  in-  ' 
ipired  with  a  heaTenobom  heroism,  traeked  the  monster  ICarat  to 
Ml  lair,  and  there  stuck  that  knife  to  the  heart  of  him  whom  shebe- 
Uered  to  ba  the  foremost  in  the  butchery  of  her  countrymen,  and 
whose  death  would,  she  though!^  giro- birth  to  the  ubertiea  cf 
France. 

Nest  fell  Bantpn— a  victim  to  the  j[eaIouqrandtothewfleaof 
the  unprincipled  Robespierre— but  while  he  met  the  fate  which 
Ue  attocities  so  richly  merited,  his  dying  prediction  was  f ally  Ti- 
rified,  for,  in  falliDg,  ne  dragged  with  him  the  arch-murderer,  B6« 
beipierre,  from  the  guilty  seat  of  power,  which  they  had  occupied 
together. 

Onthemomingof  the  29th  of  July,  1794,  at  dajbreak,  the 
streets  of  Paris  were  filled  to  repletion  with  masses  of  human  be- 
ings, all  converging  to  one  point  of  genoral  attraction.      The  po- 
pulace of  this  great  and  wicked  city,  their  hands  and  garments 
reeking  with  the  gore  of  the  thousands  whom  they  had  slidn  in 
t^e  fever  of  popular  excitement,  had  grown  weary  of  the  sight  of 
blood,  and  yet  wey  were  thronging  to  witness  another  execution. 
Onward  they  press,  one  cry  sounding  above  all  others— "Bown 
with  the  tyrant— down  with  Robespierre.    T6  the  guillotine  with 
him  I"    What,  Bobespierre !  Ay,  tniftt  name,  at  mention  of  which| 
as  it  passed  from  lip  to  lip,  hundreds  of  thousands,  nav,  all  France, 
had  trembled  t-t- that  name,  whose  magic  power  had  led  the  mad« 
dened  multitude  to  deeds  of  violeaoe,  and  to  words  of  blasphe- 
my whidh  astonished  the  world— that  name,  which  had  swept, 
sirdcco-Uke,  over  the  land,  blaspheming  and  blighting— that  name, 
once  so  powerful,  now  so  powerless— that  name,  once  so  dreaded, 
ndw  so  contemned.     How  are  the  mighty  fallen  I      Bobespierre 
is  about  to  expiate  his  crimes,  upon  that  very  scaffold  to  which  ho 
had  sentenced  so  many  victims.  The  guillotine  stands  on  the  vei^ 
q>ot  where  the  unhappy  Louis  XYI.  and  his  noble '  consort,  Marie 
▲ntokiette  had  suffered.    It  stands  in  the  Place  de  la  Revolution. 
Around  it  gathered  the  dense  crowd,  waiting  impatiently  to  wit- 
ness the  death  of  him  who  had  promised  them  riches,  and  flelda 
of  grain,  but  who  had,  instead,  fed  them  upon  the  blood  of  their 
fathcon.  and  husbands,  and  brothers.    Now  the  crowd  disports  to 
the  right  and  left ;  and,  amid  cursings,  and  execrations,  and  shouts 
of  exultation,  the  band  of  conspiraton.  against  the  liberties  of 
France,  slowly  advances.    There  are  Sennot,  and  Oouthon,  and' 
St.'Just,  and  Dumas,  and  Ooffinal,  and  Simmn,  and  others,  but 
conspicuous  among  them  all  is  Bobespierre— the  master-spirit, 
and  aroh-conspirator,  the  tyrant,  the  bloodhound,  of  the  Bevolu- 
tion.    The  bodies  of  Henriot,  of  Oouthon,  and  of  i&obespiorre,  are 
mnltilated — mangled  in  the  bloody  scene .  consequent  upon  tiidr 
seizure,  the  night  before.    They  all  stand  around  the  fearful  in- 
stnunent  of  death,  each  awaiting  his  turn.     One  by  one.they  as- 
oeni  the  platform,  above  which  the  glittering  blade  is  suspendedi 
and  each  is  beheaded ;  a  vild  shout  of  joy  goes  up  from  the  co» 
gregated  thousands  who  witness  this  laal  offering  to  liberty.    At 
ust  comes  the  tyrant's  turn,  and,  as  he  mounts  the  noaffol^  a  yet 
wilder  shout  ascends  from  the  multitude,  who  are  frantic  with  ex- 
ultation.   There  he  stands,  the  last  of  the  dreaded  enemies  of  hu- 
man rights!     See  the  blood  oosing  from  the  bandage  that  holdt 
up  his  fractured  jaw ;  it  runs  down  upon  his  olothiug;fhei 


'4    .t». 


•:i\i 


ttNttoof 

mdiAllM- 
man,  tad 
•ertiM  ^ 

BWflMof 

be  whioli 
folly  ▼»■ 
em,Bd« 
oeoapied 

«alc,  the 
imanbe- 
Thepo- 
{armentf 
slain  in 
>  sight  of 
ceoation. 
-"Down 
tine  with 
ofwhioh, 
1  France, 
the  mad- 
blasphe- 
1  swept, 
at  name, 
dteaded, 
Mspiene 
rhioh  he 
the  verjr 
rt,  Marie 
'ohition. 
r  to  wit- 
id  fields 
of  their 
iportsto 
a  shouts 
rties  of 
ion,  and' 
ffs,  bnt 
r'Spin't, 
Reyola- 
Mrre,are 
antiieir 
fal  ia- 
ihey  as- 
lendedi 
leoofllk 
J.    At 
I.  a  yet 
ithez- 
of  hu- 
;  holds 
leese- 


H^ystnleB  of  a  Onmni 


loe 


Miioocr  maldiae  the  baadaM  firom  bis  head ;  ttie  bKokm  fair  ftdla 
^  upon  his  breast :  and  one  yeU  of  terrible  agony  is  wrong  from  hia 
stoical  sool,  whwh  had  borne  the  angoish  of  the  preTioos  night, 
withont  a  groan.  Bot,  what  ory  is  that  whioh  pierces  the  ear, 
whose  totuis.  soonding  eren  aboTO  the  yell  of  mortal  pain  wUeh 
filled  wnv  heart  with  horror,  are  heari  ringing  oot  shrill  and 
elear  opon  the  air  P  It  was  the  Toioe  of  a  woman—*  yoong  and 
beaotif  ol  woman,  whose  dress  of  deepest  mourning,  and  whose  pale 
ftoe,  showed  that  she  has  been  a  sufferer  from  the  tyraaVs  oroel- 
tiea.  HarktotheToice!  "  Murderer  of  my  father,  your  agony 
fiUs  ma  with  joy ;  descend  to  hell,  covered  with  the  cuiies  of  the 
orphan!  aye,coyered  with  the  curses  of  all  the  orphans  and  wi- 
dows TOO  LaTe  made  in  France  ;**  See,  he  shuts  his  eyes,  he  would 
fdn  stop  his<ears  i  he  would  gladly  hush  his  conscience^  but  he 
cannot ;  the  iron  has  pierced  his  eoul— "  there  ie  a-jQcd.**  The  re- 
tributions of  that  hour  declare  it.  Bobeapierre  feels  it ;  and,  with 
remorse  gnawing  at  his  vitals,  he  bows  his  head  upon  the  Uod^ 
and  his  doomed  spirit  passes  into  the  awful  presence  of  Jehovah  t 
exultant  shouts  produm  the  joy  of  France,  that  a  tyrant  has  been 
removed  from  the  face  of  the  earth ;  while  the  whole  seen*  d*- 
i«fl^  .         dared  the  presence  qf  an  avenginf;  Deity. 

The  execution  over,  the  crowd  oispersed :  imd  Louise  St  Anbyn. 
leaning  heavily  upon  the  arm  of  Pierre,  the  old  veteran,  walked 
dowly  Jiomeward.  ^  It  was  she  who,  having  heard  what  was  to 
tran^ire  that  day,  had  clothed  herself  in  mourning,  and,  stand- 
ing beneath  the  guillotine,  had  cursed  Bobespiems  tiie  murderer 
of  her  father. 


OHAFTEB  "VX 

Louise,  longs  to  leave  Itence— Looking  towards  America— Prevallt  npoa 
Pierre  and  Uarie  to  accouApany  her— Arrival  in  the  nev  Bepnblio— 
Ohmeh  of  the  Jesuits— Interrieir  with  Father  Jubert. 

FnAzrcn  was  hateful  to  Louise,  since  the  death  of  her  fttther,  and 
the  atrodties  which  she  had  witnessed,  and  of  which  die  had 
heard ;  and  she  longed  to  leave  its  shores.  She  had>4ieard  much 
of  the  young  Bepublic  across  the  broad  Atlantic,  and  determined 
to  go  thither,  ttiat  die  might  no  longer  be  surrounded  by  those 
whom  she  regarded  aa  lawless  murderers,  against  whom  die  had 
in  secret  vowed  eternal  hatred.  Indeed,  her  heart  was  filled 
with  bitterness  towards  her  whole  race,  save  the  good  Pierre,  the 
kind  Mwie,  and  the  generous  banker,  M.  de  Montmdn ;  the  only 
beinga,  in  i^U  the  world,  towards  whom  die  f  dt  one  emotion  <n 
regard  or  esteem. 

On  the  morning  succeedinff  the  tragical  events  narrated  in  the 
last  diapter,  Louue  inllisd  Pierre  and  his  wife  into  her  room,  af- 
ter breakfast,  and,  bidding  them  be  seated,  she  said  to  them  : 

**  My  friends,  I  hate  Fntnoe ;  I  wish  to  leave  it,  and  seek  an 
aqrlom  in  the  new  home  of  the  sorrow-stricken,  the  United  States. 
I  am  onwilling  to  leave  yoo  behind ;  will  yoo  go  with  m*  f* 

'*  Bnt  Mademoiselle,"  replied  Pierre,  who  was  moch  astonidi- 
•dattUaintdligeooe— **we  have  not  the  means;  and,  besides, 
w*  dwold  starve^  when  we  got  there^  withoot  friends,  and  with- 
out boduess." 


110 


Hjsteriei  of  A  OonTeat 


**  Af  to  tiM  UMiit  of  gtMbig  to  Amorioft"— fftipOBtfod ; 
MleaTOthaitdina:  IiriU  piotide  thorn.  It  is  m  tttUo  m  I  om 
A>  in  TCtnm  for  tht  kindnoM  whioh  yon  hoTO  mmif oitod  to  no^ 
daring  tho  numy  monthi  thot  I  hoto  tpont  nnder  joov  horait* 
abloioof.  IwiUpoTyoarpMUgooeroMthoooean;  «id.wli«i 
wo  TCMdk  thot  Mondly  ohon^  wo  will  toko  a  home,  and  Hfoto- 
gothorMwodohon.  OnrgoodFieROoaDflndoomeihinf  todo; 
{00,  Xwlo,  and  ^  ean  koop  honoo,  and  thai  wo  will  do  THty  won. 
haTO  lOTon  thoniand  mneo  left ;  and,  whilo 


lai«»TC 
f,and| 


rott' 
shall  not  want.  Oome^  let  na  leaTo'thia  hbniblo  eonntfy,  and  go 
at  onoo  where  at  least  oar  liyos  will  be  safe,  and  we  oan  earn  oor 
daQy  broad  in  peaoe.    What  say  yon,  nir  friends  T' 

*«  Ah  i  it  will  be  hard  to  lesTo  Puis,  with  aU  her  fanlts,"  an- 
sweredPierro:  **bat  yet,Ifeel wellassnred,  fromwhatlhaifo 
heard  aboat  that  far  off  oonntry,  that  Mademoisello  Loniso  ad- 
vises for  the  best  We  Ioto  her,**— oontinaed  he,  addressing  him- 
self to  his  wife—**  and  we  will  go  with  her;  wo  oan  soon  earn 
enongh,  by  oor  labour,  to  repay  what  she  may  adranoo  for  onr 
expenses.    Ck>me,  Marie,  say  yes,  and  we  will  go  with  her.*' 

^  Well,  Pierre,  be  it  so.  then.  Wo  hare  nothing  to  keep  ns 
here,  saTo  our  Ioto  for  la  doUo  France,  and  who  knows  bnt  we 
may  groW  rich  in  America,  whioh  wo  assorediy  we  oannot  do 
here." 

**  Sy  the  Way,"  said  Pierre,  *'  it  Jnst  ocears  to  me,  at  this  mo- 
ment, that  the  captain  of  the  new  brig,  the  Jean  Maorioft,  told 
me,  the  other  day,  that  he  woold  start  from  HaTre  for  New  York, 
some  time  next  week.  If  yon  say  so.  Mademoiselle  Loaise,  I  wfll 
see  the  oaptain,  and  ascertain  what  ho  will  charge  to  take  as  all 
to  that  place." 

Snf^  it  to  say  that  the  anrangemento  were  all  made  to  the 
satisfaction  of  Loaise  and  her  companions ;  their  passporto  ob- 
tained, hers  being  in  an  assumed  name ;  and  On  the  Thnrsday 
following  the  conversation  that  has  just  been  i^slated,  the  Jean 
Maurice  was  breasting  the  wares  of  the  ooean,  on  her  way  to  the 
new  world. 

In  due  time  the  brig  arrived  at  its  port  of  destination ;  and,  in 
a  few  days,  Pierre  had  taken,  at  the  request  of  Louise,  a  nice  lit- 
tle house  in  the  suburbs  of  the  dty,  which  was  plainly  but  bom- 
f ortobly  famished ;  and  here  the  three  friends,  whom  misfortuno 
had  so  singularly  bound  together  in  strong  ties,  lived  in  thii  en- 
joyment of  quiw  and  repose.  Pierre  soon  found  profitable  em- 
ployment ;  Marie  busield  herself  with  household  affairs ;  while 
Louise  employed  her  time  in  embroidery,  lessons  in  which  she 
had  taken  Dofore  she  left  Paris,  and  for  which  she  received  a 
handsome  remuneration  from  a  French  merchant,  who  I^d  been 
for  some  time  ntablished  in  busiuess. 

Some  weeks  rolled  liway,  when,  one  momin|r.  Louise  entered 
the  eonfessional  in  toe  chuvGh  of  the  /uu4ts,  at  New  York  {  and, 
after  a  full  confession,  sought  absolution  from  the  priest  who  was 
present.  He  inquired  who  she  was,  and,  manifestinr  great 
sympathy  for  her  sorrows,  asked  for  her  address;  tolling  nor  he 
would  Mil,  in  a  few  days,  and  pav  her  a  pastoral  visit.  This 
priost  was  a  young  man.  of  about  thirtv  years  of  age,  of  hand- 
some fsatores,  oommanaing  figure,  poliuked  manner^  and  was  a 
lefdgee  from  Fkanoo^  being  a  deeoendant  from  a  noble  family; 
his  name,  Jubert. 


imImu 

lOdtoiM, 

ir  homtt* 

LWMB 


ngfodo; 
my  wen. 

7,  and  go 
iMonow 

ItM,-  an. 

lOlliMftd- 

ringhim* 

tooneun 

Be  for  our 

ler." 

okeepu 

'8  baiwe 

Bumotdo 

i  thii  mo- 

u1oe,toId 
fewTork, 
lise^Iwiil 
■Ice  QS  all 


t^^ 


tetoibe 
>orte  ob« 
rhanday 
the  Jeaa 
'ay  to  the 

;  and,  in 
%  nice  lit- 
bat  bom- 
itfortniM 
a  th^  en- 
Able  em- 
i;  while 
rhibhiha 
Bodveda 
had  been 

I  entered 
k  t  and, 
wnowaa 


gliarhe 
i.  This 
of  hand- 
ndwata 
famay; 


l^yistnlfii  of  &  Oontsiitt 


111 


II  was  not  l<mg  befora  Vafher  Jnbert  atood  before  the  dwdliag 
el  Lenise  St  Anbyn,  and,  lightly  npping  at  the  dboi,  waa  admit* 

r,  where  latli 


led  into  iha  little  jialma,  whera  lai  h«r  whom  he  eame  to  see. 
The  blnsk  naallea  vpon  t&e  eheek  of  Lonise,  as  she  looked  al 
the  handsoiM  priest;  and,  Jesuit  aa  he  was.  and  aoeostomed  to 
the  maintanaaea  of  an  ironoootiol  otot  himself,  the  teU>tale 
Uood  whieh  mounted  to  his  faos^  told  that  an  imiureeslon  had 
been  made  upon  his  heart  wUeh  would  be  exceedingly  danger- 
euf  to  the  peaoa  of  both* 

The  interview  was  a  long  one ;  ftnr  Tbther  Jnbert  insisted  upon 
having,  from  the  lips  of  Louise  a  fall  aooountof  herpasthistMnr; 
and,  during  its  redtal,  manifested  the  deepest  interest  In  its  details. 

At  lengft,  the  nanatiTe  was  oompletea :  and  the  priest  had  ar- 
rived at  the  oonelnsion  that  Louise  St  Aubyn  possessed  rare  qua* 
lifieations  for  membership  in  the  order  of  Jesuits,  and  that  if  she 
could  but  be  persuaded  to  join  that  order,  it  would  be  at  onoe  a 
most  valuable  acquisition,  while  it  would  render  more  ea^f  of 
accomplishment,  certain  intenttons  of  his  own,  which  had  been 
formed  in  his  mmd,  while,  with  flashed  cheek  and  fire-flashing 
Cje,  she  had  told  her  thrilling  stonr. 

He^  therefore,  related  to  her,  at  her  request,  his  own  bisloiT, 
taking  care  to  expatiate  upon  the  happy  retreat  from  worldy 
anzieiy.  which  he  had  found  in  the  bosom  of  the  chutoh,  and  in 
assodnUon  with  the  order  of  which  he  was  a  mem  ber.  His  im- 
passioned dognenee,  while  he  enlarsed  upon  this  topfo,  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  the  mind  of  Cooiae,  already  predisposed,  by 
misanthrophicfeeUQg,  t'>  abandon  the  world,  and  shut  herself  out 
from  ite  tumult  and  its  sorrows ;  and  the  wily  Jesuit,  fioding  that 
he  had  succeeded  beyond  his  expectations,  thought  it  best  not  to 
push  the  matter,  at  that  time,  any  further,  but  to  leave  Um  im- 
pression to  deepen  itself,  and  work  its  own  way. 

Bising  gmcexully  from  his  chair,  and  offering  his  services  to 
Louise,  in  the  moM  delicate  manner  imaginable,  he  promised  to 
visit  her  again :  and  took  hie  leave,  with  all  the  xeflned  politeneia 
of  the  accomplished  IVendmian. 


OHAPTEBYIL 

LoalBs'srefleettsnsonfhetaitarvieir— Its  efilNt^  Loiilse~4nstetjof  Pisne 
and  Marie— Ihe  heart's  oonsolations— The  wily  Jesuit. 

Tbxb  interview  with  father  Jubert  left  the  mind  of  Louise  in  a 
^tumult  of  emotion,  raeh  aa  only  a  being  of  hat  peculiar  mould  is 
capable  of.  Before  the  disastrous  event  oceaired,  which  made 
Imr  an  wphan,  ehe  had  had  but  little  intercourse  with  those  of 
ua  opposite  sex ;  and  then  only  when,  on  State  occasions  she  had 
Tirited  Paris,  in  company  with  her  father ;  and  i^though  her  im- 
afdnation  had  often  been  inflamed  by  the  perusal  of  romances, 
which  she  found  in  the  library  of  the  chateau,  and  whidi  she  had 
devoured  with  great  avidity,  she  had  never  befora  met  with  anv 
one  who  had  inepired  her  wi1»  the  feelings  which  she  experiMced 
inua  interview  with  the  young,  the  handsome,  and  the  polished, 
rtmuik  priest.  In  short,  she  had  fallen  deeperately  in  lova  with 
him;  ual  bar  quick  womaa'a  wit  had  made  the  dieooveiy  that  tiie 
pasnoa  waa  a  reciprocal  one.     Had  ha  been  of  low  orifia  is  bis 


ia 


ItjiMlM  of  ft  Oonmit* 


Batii«lftad»dtowoaldh|i?«  ipwiMd  fh«  idea ;  bat,  m  h«  te4  !&• 
loiiMd  h«r  tbil  h«  WM  a  wn  of  th«  Oonnt  Jabtrt  thui  whoM 
th«ra  WM  no  iMttor  blood  in  Fnuio«,htrsomMitiodia|KMitibii  Mil* 
•d  Mgwl/  amm  tho  adTontarM  |  and  har  londnaaafor  axeitMBtnt 
of  OTaiT  kind,  thai  might  xaliera  tha  tadiona  monotooT  of  h» 
avaiy^aT  lifa,  f6and  natrimant  upon  which  to  faait  itaaU;  in  tha 
llama  whloh  tha  Fathar  Jabart  had  ioipiiad  in  har  boiom. 

**  Bat  ha  ia  a  priaat."  nid  aha  to  hanalf,  aa  aha  thought  of  tha 
dfonmatanoaa  which  had  trantpirad  in  tha  intarviaw :  and  thi^ 
initaad  of  shocking  har  by  tha  naw  phaaa  in  which  it  prasantad 
tha  tnbjact  to  her  mind,  only  garrad  to  maka  tha  affair  mora  ro- 
mantic, and  tharaf ora,  tha  mora  plaaaurabla  to  har  azdtad  f anej. 

**  Tat  ha  loTaa  ma,  I  know ;"  aha  added.  menUUy.  *•  Did  not 
hia  Toica  falter,  and  hie  cheek  redden,  aa  na  spoke  to  maP  and, 
whan  ha  bade  me  good  bye,  how  his  band  trembled,  as  ha  press 
ad  mine  I  He  lores  me,  I  am  sure  of  it.  What  a  pity  he  is  a 
prieati  How  handsome  he  is  I  How  agreeable  1"  And  thus  she 
sat  reasoning  and  communing  with  hsr  own  thoughts,  nntil  Msp 
ria  announced  that  dinner  was  on  tha  table. 

"  Mademoiselle  does  not  eat  to-day,"  said  Pierre,  with  aoma 
anxiety,  as  he  obserred  that  Louise  scarcely  touohed  the  food  on 
her  plate,  and  seemed  greatly  abstracted  during  the  silent  meal, 
*'  I  hope  you  Me  not  unwell.*' 

**  I  am  quite  well,"  replied  Lonise,  aronsed,  for  tha  moment, 
firomher  reverie— "  I  was  only  thinking  of  we  past,  my  good 
Pierre,  and  that  made  me  sad."^ 

"  Ah  1  do  not  let  your  thoughts  go  back  to  the  sorrowful  days 
that  are  past.  Mademoiselle  Louise;"— said  Maria,  with  a  tear  in 
her  eye— "it  willinjure  your  health;  think  only  of  thathapRf 
time  wa  now  see,  and  of  the  bright  future." 

But  Louise  heard  not  what  was  said  by  tha  kind-hearted  Ma- 
riei  aha  was  thinking  of  the  handsome  priest,  anid  of  the  pheasant 
tones  of  his  Toioe,  which  seemed  still  to  vibrate  as  aweet  music 
upon  har  ear. 

Her  simple  friends  exchanged  looka  of  sympathy,  little  dream- 
ing of  what  was  passing  in  the  mind  of  Louise;  and,  her  plain 
meal  being  finished,  she  retired  to  her  own  room,*  and  spent  the 
afternoon,  not  aa  naual  over  her  embroidering  frame^  but  in  the 
rcTcries  of  a  passionate  imaaination,  and  in  building  air-oaatles 
for  the  future.      She  devised  a  thousand  schemes  by  meana  of 
which  she  thought,  for  a  moment,  the  obstaolee  in  tha  way  of  her 
nnion  with  Father  Jubert  might  be  removed ;  and  aa  insurmount- 
able  difScttlties  would  throw  themselves  around  each  of  these,  as 
if  in  mockery  of  her  anxiety  on  the  subject,  others  would  aiis^ 
to  be  in  turn  destroyed  by  some  impossibility  that  would  suggest^ 
itself.  Thus  waa  paased  the  afternoon  and  evening  of  that  event- 
ful day;  and,  at  last,  overcome  with  fatigue,  consequent  upon  tha  . 
strength  of  her  emotions,  and  tha  unwonted  mental  exeEmse^  aha  n 
fell  aueep,  and  dreamed  of  tiie  handsome  young  priest' 

Father  Jnbert,  meanwhile,  had  sat  himself  down  in  hia  com- 
fortable room,  and,  after  readling  to  mind  the  incidents  that  had 
bean  related  to  him  by  Louise  in  their  interview,  and  raflacttag 
npon  tha  traita  of  character  which  she  had  developed  to  hia  kaan 
observation,  aa  well  aa  tha  beauty  of  her  face  and  parson,  wbicih 
had  indeed  made  a  moat  lively  hnpresrion  upon  his  haarlt  aa  she 
had  anpoMed:  taorad  hia  inventive  powera  to  devise  a  plan  by 
meana  of  whicbsha  might  be  induced  to  enter  tha  otd^r,  and  ha 


♦^. 


I 
1 

h 
n 

V 

h 

a 
U 
si 
si 
n 

ix 

w 
ai 

C( 

so 

in 

Pl 

w: 

W( 

th 
ax 
qn 

se] 

M 

I 

im 


i  whoM 
ion  Mis* 

BltMMBt 

r  of  1m> 
I^Uklho 

ktof  tht 
nd  fhiih 
nntatod 
mom  ra- 
id f«n^. 
•Did  not 
mP  and, 
tioprMi- 
iy  he  is  a 
thusiho 
mtUM»> 

« 

lih  ■omo 
» food  on 
mtmMl, 

monont. 
my  good 

VfdldftTI 

latearln 
At  hftpi^ 

rtadHa- 

pkeMut 
Mtmude 

dream- 
her  plain 
ipent  the 
at  in  the 
ir-oaatlea 
neane  of 
ay  of  her 
rmonnt* 
thoMtas 
ildanie. 

raggen» 
fttoTent- 
aponthe 
WiMkihe 


hli( 
that  had 
efteoting 
his  keen 
whioh 
tiaaite 
plan  by 
r,  and  he 


liflMm  of  a  Oim?aiit 


113 


•MompUsh  hit  prirate  pnrpoioe.  Having  aoooeeded  in  thia.  to 
hie  own  eatiefkotion,  and  determined  that  no  time  ehoold  he  KMt 
in  earrying  hie  phut  into  effeot,  he  tamed  to  hit  writing-table, 
and  addretted  to  the  tuperior  of  the  order  in  Bome,  a  letter,  eon« 
taining  tome  general  information,  and  a  tummary  of  the  OTonta 
whioh  had  trantpiredin  thelatt  month,  not  omitting  to  lay 
enongh,  in  referenoe  to  Looiae,  to  attraot  the  attention  of  the  tu- 
perior to  her  oate,  and  to  evinoe  with  what  aridity  the  writer 
•eised  upon  every  oiroomttance  whioh  might  promote  tiie  inter- 
ettt  of  the  order. 


CHAFTEB  Tin. 

The  loTer*t  dream—The  ooofesiioiud— Its  effeota  on  Louisa— Har  deter- 
mination to  eutwr  the  OonTent  of  St.  Mary's— Sorrow  of  har  flriends— 
Eaters  the  Oonrent,  andor  the  appellation  of  Slster^Franoes— father 
Jubart's  wily  schemes. 

Oh  awakening,  the  next  morning,  Lonite  found  herteff,  at  it 
were,  in  a  new  world ;— a  world  oontaining  but  two  inhabitantt, 
the  priett  of  whom  the  had  dreamed,  and  herself.  She  arose,  and 
dretaed  hertelf  witti  more  than  her  uaual  oare :  and,  after  break- 
fatt,  telling  Marie  that  the  wat  going  to. oonfettion,  repaired  to 
the  ohuroh  whioh  the  had  visited  a  week  before ;  and  there,  to  her 
great  Joy,  the  found  Father  Jubert  in  hit  teat,  ready  to  liaten  to 
her.  with  palpitating  heart,  ahe  entered  the  oonfetaional,  and 
her  tremulout  voice  be&ayed  the  emotion  of  her  touU  The  prieat 
heard  her  Ihrou^h,  andtnen  adminiatered  oontolation  to  her; 
but  what  wat  taid,  or  wbai;  wta  done,  in  that  hour,  the  writer  it 
not  prepared  to  lay.  Iiet  it  tufice  that  Louiae  left  the  ohuroh, 
wi^  a  tmile  upon  ner  countenance,  which  beapoke  the  Jov  of  her 
heart,  and,  in  the  oonrae  of  a  few  daya,  attoniahed  the  good  Fiearre 
and  hia  wile,  by  informing  them  that  ahe  had  made  up  her  mind 
to  entA  the  convent  of  St.  Mary'a,  in  New  York ;  and  that  ahe 
ahonld  give  to  them  one  half  of  the  remaining  money  which 
the  had  brought  from  France,  to  be  their  own :  to  uiat  they  might 
not  auffer  from  the  atep  ahe  waa  about  to  take. 

Marie,  who  loved  Louise,  buret  into  teara,  and  wrung  her  handt 
in  the  bittemeaa  of  her  aorrow,  dedariog  that  ahe  thonld  die 
without  the  presence  of  her  good  mittrest,  for  to  ahe  termed  her; 
and  Pierre  atood  mute  and  motionleat,  aa  if  he  were  striving  to 
comprehend  what  had  been  aaid  to  him.  Meanwhile,  Louiae 
aootbed  them,  by  telling  them  that  ahe  had  no  loneer  anything  to 
live  for  in  thia  world,  that  her  situation  wat  a  peculiarly  distress- 
ing one,  and  that  her  happineat  would  be  greatly  promoted  by 
placing  heraelf  under  the  protection  of  the  nunt,  in  aaaooiation 
with  whom  ahe  could  apend  her  daya  in  acta  of  devotion  and 
workt  of  piety.  She  alao  aasured  them  that  her  entrance  into 
the  convent  would  not  prevent  her  from  seeing  them  frequently, 
and  from  affording  them  asaittance,  at  any  time,  ahould  they  re- 
quire it. 

Thut  astured,  her  kind  friendt  reluctantly  contented  to  their 
teparation  from  Lonite ;  and,  during  the  remainder  of  that  day, 
Marie't  eyet  were  conttantly  red  with  weeping. 

Some  ten  daya  were  apent  by  Louisoin  making  preparatiout 
for  her  oonvwtoal  Ufe,  during  whioh  time  frequent  visitt  werf 

B 


^p 


l:.J 


114 


MjfBtnlfli  of  A  OoiiTSlit 


paid  to  lh«  IubOj  bj  lU  nou  ol  lh«  oodtmiI,  wd  ^  lithtt  !«• 
Mrl;  llMUtUrmttniklngliimMUior  Ftomw  mnohMftoMl 
him  op  in  » imftll  bal  Ivami?*  boilnMa,  \n  ibmum  of  tbo  nonoj 
wUeh  LooiM  had  pimattd  to  him,  in  toKon  of  h«r  f riondihip. 
and  of  tho  nppiMiftUon  in  whioh  iho  hold  hit  part  ^iudnaM  ana 
lldaUty. 

Bafora  aotarlnff  tha  oonTont^  Lonlia,  nndar  tha  difaellon  of  Vk- 
Ihar  Jabart,  maoa  a  saf^  inTaatmant  of  har  ramaininff  mooaj, 
anbjaot  to  har  own  orda)r  wbila  liffaig,  raTarrionary  to  tha  oidar 
at  har  daath ;  andL  prooaring  tha  aarrioaa  of  an  agant  to  iriait 
Franoa.  and  attand  to  har  intaraata  thara,  axeoutad  an  imtnunant 
in  writing,  donating  tha  ona  hidf  of  whatatar  might  ba  raaliaad 
from  har^athar'a  astata,  abaolntaly  to  tha  Jaauita,  and  rataining 
tha  oontrol  of  tha  othar  half  in  her  own  handa,  with  an  oblign* 
tion  that  it  ihonld  ba  i^Tan  nltfanataly  to  tha  oonvant  in  wwoh 
aha  ahonld  and  har  daya.  '*' 

In  dna  tima,  aha  antared  tha  aonvant,  and.  harins  papaad  har 
noTitiata  aatiafaotorily,baoama  a  nnn,  nndar  tha  appaliation  of  aia* 
tarFranoaa;  and,  from  tha  momant  of  her  introduotion  into  tha 
order,  aaanmad  a  podtion.  and  aoqnirad  an  inflnenoa,  whioh  amply 
attaati»d  tha  aagadty  of  Father  Jubert,  and  terified  the  aonndnem 
of  tha  oonoloaiona  whioh  ha  had  drawn  from  their  first  intarriaw. 
Meanwl^lf ,  tha  latter,  who  waa  tha  oouf esaor  to  thia  same  oon* 
Tent,  had  not  been  idia,  bat  had  laboured  indnstriously  to  pro- 
mote tha  interests  of  sister  Frances,  between  whom  and  himself 
a  solemn  oompact  had  bean  entered  into.  On  the  morning  of  that 
last  Tisit  to  tha  oonfasaional,  to  whioh  allusion  haa  already  been 
made.  By  meana  of  an  underground  oommnnioation  between  tha 
monastery,  in  whioh  ha  reaid^  to  avoid  scandal,  and  the  oonvan^ 
by  tha  oonniTanoa  of  tha  sister Pr^-^trr,  who  was  charged  with  tha  . 
oara  of  tha  gate  whioh  opened  iuto  tiie  latter  buiidinff  from  the 
arohed  way  whioh  formed  this  uommimioationt  ha  Tisited  sister 
Frances  almost  nightly  in  her  privato  cell,  where  ha  instmoted 
her  in  tha  mvsteriea  and  usages  of  the  Jesuits,  and  prepared  har 
fully  to  act  that  part  whioh  she  afterwarda  flUed  with  such  dis- 
tinguished ability.     Nor  waa  the  father  confessor  wholly  disin- 
terested in  these  labours ;  he  wan  duly  rewarded :  and.  as  subse- 
quent events  will  demonstrate,  they  were  coupted  with  hia  own 
Mho   X  of  personal  ambition.  A  more  unhallowed  oompact  than 
^h^•^.  which  existed  between  this  priest  and  sister  Frances— a  com- 
pact instigated  by  a  Jesuit  mind,  and  the  foul  offspring  of  pas- 
don  and  of  pride— was  perhapa  never  entered  into,  nor  ever  mora 
fearfully  punished. 

OHAFTEBEL 

Honours  in  proroeot— Bcsta(^  of  Father  Jubert— Power,  apostrophe  to^ 
~hs  Cvtinpaot  not  to  be  forgotten— Arrival  of  the  Legate— Hta  treat* 
ment-  -Ai.T)roaching  ceremony- High  IXass  celebrated— Conaistorlal 
Hall,  its  talendidftimitureandfittings-Procentonof  priests— Tha 
oereuidj  of  Inatellation—Awfol  Oath—The  onp  of  blooo— The  Bible 
ec>»9^tku«I  U'i;ri—Vien«  exultation  of  the  priestn— Jhe  Ameiioan 
flag  of  Jijertr  -  >>vu>;?led  nnd  r  foot,  and  torn  iu  pieces— Pather  Jubert 
nuiich«aif.of  %e  Order  of  r.^,.  Ignatius  Loyola,  for  the  United  Stales  of 
Am^ri^—  H ovage  and  oV  eisanoe  of  the  priests— Oath  of  allegiance. 

Fxva  yeara  had  passed  away,  whan,  one  momingi  a  lai|t  and 


I  mao0ft 
bio  tWt 
•  iMOind 

>n  into  the 
dbh  amply 
■oundneM 
interriew. 
same  oon« 
Af  iopio- 
nd  himieU 
ing  of  that 
ready  been 
etweentno 
be  couventi 
idwithihe  . 
<  from  tbe 

dted  eiiAw 
instracted 
!epwedher 
i  taehdii* 
loUy  didn- 
1  M  Bubee- 
bh  hie  own 
ipact  tbaa 
18— a  oom- 
Dg  of  pas- 
evei  more 


Lstropbeto;^ 
■^-Hto  treat* 
Muistorlal 

{—The  Bible 
j|0  Amefiow 
riitlier  Jttbert 
ktedStetMof 
lalle^oe. 

Lurgaabd 


^jitnfn  of  a  Oonrflnti 


115 


.  Qy-Malad  domuMnI,  bMriafspon  it  tbe  impvMi  of  th« 
9$,U.Mt  Q«n«ral  of  tlM  Oidar  at  Bom»,  "vae  handei  (o  VMhwr  Ju- 
birt.  XMamiadng  ilMMrrant  wbo  had  bpmight  II,  he  bfoka  the 
•wlib  Md  Mt  down  at  hie  writiuf^-table  tc  i%ti4it.  Aeha  nio- 
gmnd  in  iff  paruaL  ha  beeatse  aiognlarly  atfealad ;  and,  at 
laogth,  arlrfng  from  his  ehair,  greatly  agftOed,  hie  eye  dfMad, 
and  hb  oonntenanoe  ezpreaeiTe  ttoth  of  aetoniehment  and  Jof,  Aa 
■tood  tiNl,  and,  with  tbe  letter  held  almoet  at  arm's  length,  ha 
gand  npon  it  intently,  aa  thongh  he  fonnd  it  difBoalt  o  oonnrc  • 
hand  ite  meaning.  Then,  enatohing  hie  eapfrom  hi»  hea^bo 
threw  it  T?p  in  the  air,  and  dapped  au  hands  in  rery  excitement, 
esa!iirr*Ui/,  as  he  did  so ! 

'  '/•'  If,  'f  has  oome  at  last ;  and  I— yes,  I— -naneois  Jabert,— 
aiu>\e»il  1  the  Order  of  8t.  Ignatius  Loyola,  in  theee  United 
States." 

'  /\in  seating  himself,  and  carefally  examining  the  seals,  t  e 
envelope,  the  outside  and  inside/ of  tbe  doonment  whioh  cooler- 
red  this  high  dignity  upon  him,  as  though  he  yet  feared  that 
f$$''  there  might  be  some  mistake,  he  appeared  to  be  fully  satisfied 
'  wit.ri  bis  somtinT,  and,  replaoing  the  missiTe  npon  the  taale,  again 
arose  and  paced  the  room  from  one  end  to  tne  other,  talking  to 
himself,  and  occasionally  uttering  audiblj  a  sentence  or  two. 

"  It  is  well,"  he  said ;  •*  I  hare  richly  merited  this  hononr, 
youM  as  I  am." 

**  K>wer  I  dearest  idol  of  my  soul,  I  have  thee ;  aye,  and  wiU 
use  thee,  too  1" 

**  Louiss^  our  compact  shall  not  be  forgotten." 

**  But  when  doee  he  say  the  installation  is  to  take  place  P" 
Here  he  seised  the  letter,  and  read, 

**  The  Legate,  by  whom  you  are  to  be  installed,  within  ten  days 
after  his  airiyal  in  New  York,  is  the  bearer  of  this  letter.  See 
that  he  is  treated  with  all  the  respect  due  to  his  high  office." 

**  Treated  with  an  the  respect  due  to  his  high  office,"  slowly 
repeated  the  Jesuit.  "Aye,  that  shall  he  be ;  and  he  shall  be 
made  a  stepping  stone  to  further  power.  I  must  away  to  see  this 
Lagate." 

Bo  sayinfT,  he  carefully  locked  up  the  important  document,  and, 
arranging  his  dress,  went  out  to  make  the  necessary  preparations 
for  the  suitable  reception  of  him  who  bore  so  honourable  a  com- 
mission as  the  repreiantative  of  the  Supreme  Power  at  Bome. 

SeTeral  days  of  inasting  and  ceremony  had  passed  by,  that 
set  apart'  for  the  uaballatio^  of  Father  Jubert  had  arrived. 

A^  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  Hi^h  Mass  was  celebrated  in 
the  chapel  of  the  monastery ;  after  which  all  the  members  of  the 
order,  resident  in  the  city,  together  with  several  from  a  distance. 


who  had  been  ha(rtily  summoned  to  attend,  adjourned  in  proces- 
sion to  the  Consistorial  Hall,  in  the  same  building.  This  was  a 
spacious  BDom,  with  arched  ceiling,  some  sixty  feet  in  length,  by 
thirty  in  width :  Ike  «»Us  heavily  draped  in  black  doth,  which 
hung  in  deep  f Mda,  so  as  entirely  to  shut  out  from  right  the  open- 
ings both  for  window*  and  doors.  At  one  end  of  this  uartment 
was  a  platform  raisti  some  three  feet  above  the  floor,  being  co- 
vered with  ridh  carpating  of  tha  best  fabric  XTppn  this  plaHorm 
or  dai^  was  plaaed  a  aort  9i  iWsne,  aafaited  a  brisht  scarlet,  or- 
namanted  wftii  gold,  and  sutmeuntiid  by  a  magnificent  canopy  of 


«iU^  of  fh*  asao  oohmr, 


with  heavy  gold  fringe.  In  the 


tm 


m 


Uysteiles  of  a  Conyeni 


centre  of  the  Toom  wm  latpended  from  the  oeilitajr,  a  riohlT  oat- 

glass  dkandelier,  with  almost  iuuumerable  lights  brilliantly  Dom- 
ig ;  while  placed  at  oonyenient  distances  around  the  hall  were 
ofndelabra  of  jilver,  supporting  massive  branch  candlestioks, 
each  having  several  lights.  At  the  lower  end,  there  was  a  neat 
but  small  or^an,  of  powerful  tone,  and^  seats  for  the  choristen  ar- 
ranged near  it. 

Immediately  in  front  of  the  throne  stood  an  altai*,  upon  which 
was  placed  a  golden  censer,  sending  forth  its  clouds  of  sweet  in- 
cense to  perfume  the  air ;  and  near  this  altar,  an  ancient,  curious- 
ly carved  chair,  lined  and  cushioned  with  black  velvet,  and  stud- 
ded with  gold-headed  nails,  intended  for  the  occupancy  of  the 
candidate  for  the  honours  of  the  occasion.  Seats  of  a  plainer  de- 
scription, but  displaying  the  same  contrast  of  colours,  were  ar- 
ranged along  the  sides  of  the  room,  on  either  hand. 

As  the  procession  of  priests,  clothed  in  their  long  black  robes, 
with  their  peculiarly  shaped  caps  upon  their  heads,  and  having 
the  youngest  member  of  the  order  in  the  front,  bearing  a  massive 
silver  crucifix,  and  the  oldest  in  the  rear,  with  the  Legate  in  the 
centre,  supported  on  the  right  hand  by  toe  candidate,  and  on  the 
left  by  the  f'ather  Superior  of  the  monastery ;  and  all,  save  these 
last,  walking  two  abreast,  entering  the  ante^chamber,  they  seve- 
rally armed  themselves  with  drawn  swords,  which  were  placed 
in  racks  on  either  hand ;  and,  as  they  passed  through  the  looped- 
up  drapery  which  covered  the  ample  door- way,  between  two  sen- 
tinels, who,  fully  armed,  were  there  found  on  duty,  they  several- 
ly gave  the  watdi-word,  on  the  right  and  left—"  Abasia  Libertd.'* 

Having  entered  the  spacious  hall,  whose  whole  arrangements 
presented  a  most  imposing  appearance ;  the  Legate  was  escorted  to 
the  throne,  by  the  entire  body  of  priests,  who  kneeled  in  a  circle 
around  him,  while  he  seated  himself,  and  exclaimed, 

**  Honour  to  his  lordship,  the  Legate  of  his  Holiness  the  Pope, 
and  Yicegerent  of  the  Father  (General  of  the  Order  of  St  Ignatius 
Loyola !" 

Then  rising,  and  taking  their  appropriate  seats,  the  Gmdfix, 
meanwhile,  having  been  placed  in  an  upright  position  in  a  re- 
ceptacle fot  :.ts  foot,  provided  for  the  purpose,  near  the  altar,  a 
low 'toned,  tit  beautiful,  chant  was  sung  by  the  choir,  assisted 
by  the  organ,  whose  rich  notes  seemed  to  fill  the  apartment  with 
fleeting  melody. 

The  Legate,  wearing  a  robe  of  gorgeous  grandeur,  then  arose, 
and,  with  a  distinct  voice,  read  aloud  the  authority,  appointing 
Francois  Jubert  the  Bepresentative  of  the  Supreme  HeM  of  the 
Jesuits  in  the  United  States ;  and  commanding  his  installation 
as  such,  by  the  hands  of  the  Father  Bomeo,  there  present  for  that 
purpose. 

**  The  will  of  the  Father  General  be  done !"  cried  all  the  priests, 
devoutly  crossing  themselves  and  bowing  low.  as  the  Legate 
took  his  seati, ;   while  a  joyous  peal  burst  forth  zrom  the  organ. 

Directing  the  Superior  of  the  monastery  to  present  the  candi- 
date at  the  altar,  the  Legate  proceeded  to  dictate  to  the  kneeUng 
priest,  the  rest  all  standing,  the  following  oath,  which  was  repeat- 
ed by  him  in  an  audible  voice : 

"  J^  Francois  Jubert,  in  the  prerjnce  of  the  Holy  Mother  of 
Qod ;  of  St.  Iffuatius  Loyola ;  the  Legate  of  the  Father  (General 
of  the  order  <»  Jesuits,  aad  of  these  members  ai  the  same,  here 


oMt  eai* 
ayborn- 
tiall  were 
Uestidlu, 
M  a  neat 
istenar- 

on  which 
eweet  ia- 
;,  ourions- 
and  stud- 
ty  of  the 
Uiuer  de- 
were  ar- 

lok  robes, 
id  haying 
a  massive 
ate  in  the 
,nd  on  the 
lave  these 
bhey  seve- 
re placed 
iie  looped- 
a  two  sen- 
y  severaU 
%  lAberW* 
ingements 
escorted  to 
inaoirde 

the  Pope, 
t  Ignatius 

e  cTuoifix^ 
3u  in  a  re- 
le  altar,  a 
ir,  assisted 
ment  with 

hen  arose, 
ippointing 
iead  of  the 
nstallation 
at  for  that 

he  priests, 
heliCgato 
the  organ, 
the  oandi- 
a  kneeling 
as  repeat- 
Mother  of 
»  Gtoneral 
iame,here 


l^teiles  of  a  Gmreai 


117 


smUed:  do  most  sincerely  and  solemnly  swear;— that  I  will 
and  do  renounce  all  allegiance  to  king,  prince,  potentate,  and 
powerof  ererykindj  and  howerer  constituted,  which  may  now 
or  hereafter  hold  civil  rule  in  this  or  in  any  other  country  in 
which  I  may  be  called  to  reside ;  acknowledging,  now  and  for 
eve^,  no  other  civil  or  religious  rule  whatsoever,  save  that  of  his 
Holiness,  the  Pope— the  Vicegerent  and  Yicar  of  Ghrist— an^l  of 
the  Father  Qeneral  of  the  order  of  St.  Ignatius  Loyola ;  hereby 
solemnly  engagin(|[  to  sarrender  myself,  at  all  times,  as  I  now  do, 
body,  soul,  and  spirit,  unreservedly  to  their  sole  control ;  to  have 
no  will  or  mind  of  my  own,  but  unhesitatingly  and  without  ques- 
tion, in  all  things,  to  think,  and  speak,  and  acf^  as  they  may  di- 
rect. 

« I  do  most  sincerely  and  solemnly  swear  eternal  hatred  to  all 
forms  of  government,  whether  monarchical  or  republic,  and  by 
whomsoever  administered,  whose  tendency  is  in  any  wise,  direct- 
ly or  indirectly,  to  limit,  or  subvert,  or  control  the  supreme  and 
rightful  authority  of  his  Holiness,  the  Pope,  or  the  Father  (Ge- 
neral of  the  order  of  Jesuits,  to  reign  over  the  whole  world ;  and 
to  use  my  best  endeavours,  at  all  times,  for  the  overthrow  of  all 
such  governments,  and  the  universal  extension  of  that  of  the  or- 
der of  which  I  am  a  member. 

"I  do  sincerely  and  solemnly  swear  eternal  hatred  to  all  sects, 
societies,  and  institutions,  of  every  kind,  whether  political  or  re- 
ligious, which  tend  to  the  establishment  of  civil  or  religious  free- 
dom in  this  or  in  any  other  land ;  and  to  use  my  best  efforts  for 
their  destruction ;  ever  keeping  in  my  mind  that  divine  maxim 
of  the  order,  that— 'the  end  justifies  the  means/ 

"  I  do  mofit  sincerely  and,  solemnly  swear  that  I  will  not  ap- 
propriate <:o  my  own  purposes,  any  funds  that  may  entrulted  to 
my  care  or  keeping,  as  belonging  to  the  treasury  of  the  order ; 
but  will  sacredly  apply  the  same  to  the  Uses  to  which  they  are 
set  apart,  rendering  to  the  Father  General  at  Borne,  quarterly,  a 
true  and  faithful  account  of  the  same ;  and  that  I  will  further 
use  a!T  possible  means  to  increase  the  wealth  of  the  order,  for 
the  better  accomplishment  of  the  purposes  for  which  it  has  been 
instituted. 

"  I  do  most  sincerely  and  solemnly  swear  that  I  will  not  ex- 
pose, to  any  person  or  persons  whatever,  nor  permit  the  same  to 
ue  done  by  others,  any  of  the  secret  instructions  that  may  be  given 
to  me  by  the  Father  General,  or  any  of  his  duly  accredited  agents ; 
and  should  any  such  at  any  time  fall  into  the  hands  of  those  for 
whom  they  were  not  intended,  I  will  deny,  even  with  oaths,  their 
authenticity,  affirming  them  to  be  forgeries. 

"  I  do  most  sincerely  and  solemnly  swear  to  regard  the  orders, 
instructions,  and  requirements,  of  the  Father  General  of  the  or- 
der of  Jesuits,  as  of  paramount  authority  to  those  of  his  Holiness 
the  Pope,  whenever  the  latter  shall  dash  or  conflict  with  the  for- 
mer ;  and,  should  I  ever  discover  any  plot  or  conspiracy,  or  in- 
tention of  evil  in  any  nerson  or  persons  whatsoever,  towards  the 
interests  or  safety  of  tne  order,  I  will,  without  delay,  communi- 
cate the  same  to  the  Father  General,  and  do  all  in  my  power  to 
contravene  and  to  thwart  such  plot,  conspiracy,  or  intention  of 
evil :  alwaye  esteeming  his  interest  and  authority,  as  the  head  of 
the  order,  paramount  to  all  others. 

**  I  do  most  sincerely  and  solemnly  swear  that  I  will  keep  a 


U8 


Uj^sterieB  of  a  GoafSIt 


tnit,  flKlfhfbl,  and  permanent  register,  and  fonrard  a  oojpj  there  > 
of  qnarterW  to  the  Father  General,  of  all  events,  volitioal  or  re- 
ligbus  that  may  eome  to  my  knowledge,  and  of  all  penoaa,  by 
name,  residence,  and  ocoupatiou,  wheuer  Frotestint  or  Oatholic, 
who  may  in  any  wise,  or  to  any  extent,  obstraot  the  progress  of 
our  order,  or  say  or  do  anght  against  it ;  and  by  mv  agents,  offi- 
cers, and  emisssdries,  do  all  in  my  power  to  injure  their  business, 
and  ruin  their  diaraoter  and  fortune. 

**  I  do  most  sincerely  and  solemnly  swear  that  I  will,  at  what< 
ever  inoonyenience  or  sacrifice  to  myself,  repair,  without  delay,  to 
Bome,  or  whatever  othdr  place  I  may  be  ordered  by  the  Father 
Oeneral ;  and  should  I  in  any  manner  violate  this  my  oath,  I  will 
inform  him  of  such  violation,  and  undergo  any  punishment  that 
he  may  think  proper  to  inflict  upon  me  therefore. 

*'  To  do,  and  keep^  and  perform,  all  of  this,  I  devoutly  call  upon 
the  ever  blessed  Trinity  to  witness  my  sincerity ;  and  should  I 
ever  prove  a  traitor  to  the  order,  or  betray  its  interests,  or  its  se- 
crets, may  the  severest  paios  of  purgatory  be  suffered  by  me, 
without  cessation  or  mitigation,  for  ever  and  ever." 

"  Amen  I  and  Amen !"  shouted  all  the  priests.  ' 

This  fearful  oath— so  fully  embracing  all  the  destructive  fea- 
tures of  the  Jesuits,  and  so  faithfully  pourtraying  the  real  objects 
of  their  organizations— having  been  taken  by  the  candidate,  he 
was  sternly  ordered  to  arise  from  his  kneeling  posture,  ana  to 
place  his  hand  upon  the  cross,  the  symbol  of  his  xaith;  while  the 
whole  number  of  priests  were  made  to  surround  him,  and,  point* 
ing  their  naked  swords  at  his  body,  were  directed  to  thrust  the 
steel  to  his  hearty  should  he  falter  or  hesitate  in  the  least  in  obey- 
ing the  order  which  should  next  be  given  to  him,  and  which  was 
wholly  unexpected  by  him ;  a  test  of  the  promptitude  to  comply 
with  a^  mandate  that  he  may  hereafter  receive  from  the  Su- 
preme Head  of  the  order,  though  its  performance  might  involve 
even  death  itself. 

The  Superior  of  the  monastery,  by  direction  of  the  Legate, 
then  handed  to  the  candidate  a  small  cup,  formed  of  a  section  of 
a  skull,  into  which  had  been  poured  about  half  a  gill  of  a  dark 
fluid  resembling  human  blood.  Bidding  him  hold  uiis  cup  to  his 
lipstthe  Legate  thus  addressed  him  ;— 

"Francois  Jubert,  the  honour  which  I  am  about  to  confer  upon 
yon,  by  the  authority  of  his  Holiness  the  Pope,  and  of  the  Father 
General  of  the  order  of  St.  Ignatius  Loyola,  is  of  too  august  a 
character,  and  involves  interests  of  too  great  moment  to  belight- 
ly  bestowed,  or  to  be  given  to  one  who  quails  at  the  eigh^  or 
smell,  or  taste,  of  human  blood ;  if  you  have  been  sincere  ui  tak- 
ing the  solemn  oath  which  has  jus^  been  administered  to  you,  and 
if  you  are  worthy  of  the  high  honour  for  which  you  are  the  can- 
didate, yon  will  not  hesitate  to  drink  the  contents  of  that  cup. 
If  you  are  insincere  or  craven  in  spirit,  yon  will  hesitate  and  die. 

U  W  MtNXf-^SBINKl" 

No  sooner  had  the  word  paned  the  lips  of  the  Leffate— uttered 
in  a  tone  of  powerful  emphasis,  which  ran  through  the  vast  apart- 
ment, and  vibrated  on  the  nerves  of  the  priests— than  the  candi- 
date swallowed  the  contents  of  the  cup,  without  even  blanching, 
as  though  it  had  contained  the  most  delicious  nectar ;  and,  to 
show  that  he  had  done  so,  held  it  up  at  the  full  ,stretoh  of  his  arm, 
as  his  commanding  stature  towered  above  the  priests  who  sur- 
rounded him,  its  Mttom  turned  upwards. 


i 


l^BtflrlBB  of  ft  GoDYdnti 


n9 


**Lowflr  your  iwoidsl"  oriedihe  Legate,  **the  candidate  is 
worthy.* 

The  priests  let  fidl  their  sword  points,  and,  as  they  did  so,  a 
rich  and  triamphant  gnst  of  mosic  sounded  forth  from  the  or- 
gan ;  while  the  choristers  ohaated  the  patron  saint  and  founder 
of  the  order. 

"Bring  forth  the  acoorsed  book,"  cried  the  Legate,  wheathe 
morio  had  ceased. 

A  copy  of  the  Protestant  Bible  was  then  handed  to  the  candi* 
date:  while  a  ohaffiog  dish  of  burning  coal  was  placed  before  him. 

*'  That  book,"  said  the  Legate,  **  is  the  great  enemy  of  our  Or- 
der. It  must  perish  from  the  earth,  or  we  must  cease  to  exist. 
Ourse  and  bum  it,  in  token  of  your  enmity  and  ours,  and  of  your 
determiuation  to  do  all  that  lies  in  your  powdr  Jot  its  destruc- 
tion, and  with  it  for  that  of  all  heretics." 

"I  curse  thee,  thou  text-book  of  heresy !"  exclaimed  the  can- 
didate, placing  the  book  upon  the  blazing  coals ;  "  I  spit  upon 
thee,  vile  cheat,  uncompromising  enemy  of  my  order.  I  bum 
thee ;  and,  as  thou  consumest  in  that  flame,  so  may  all  heretics  be 
burned  in  that  fierce  flame  which  shall  wreathe  itself  around 
them,  in  that  hell  prei>ared  for  the  reception  and  punishment  of 
all  those  who  put  their  confidence  in  thee;  and  reject  the  true 
Scriptures,  the  only  trae  and  infallible  churoh." 

As  the  sacred  Tolume— the  charter  of  human  liberties— crack- 
led and  glowed  under  the  action  of  tiiefire,  and  its  smoke  ascend- 
ed heavenward,  like  the  spirit  of  many  a  martyr,  whose  body  has 
been  burned  by  the  minions  of  popery,  a  shout,  wild  and  fierce, 
arose  from  the  congrogated  priests,  which  shook  the  room  in 
whose  midst  they  stood ;  while  again  the  organ  and  choristers 
sent  forth  swelling  psaans  of  praise  to  "  Mary^  the  refuge  t^fni^ 
nets— the  blessed  Mother  of  OodJ* 

"Bring  forth  the  ensign  of  freedom,  P'  hissed,  from  between  his 
teeth,  the  proud  Legate,  concentrating  unutterable  hatred  in  the 
manner  in  which  he  celled  for  the  American  banner,  under  whose 
stars  and  stripes,  Washington  and  the  worthies  of  the  revolution 
had  fought  and  bled. 

"  This  vile  rag,"  he  cried,  as  the  flag  of  the  Union  was  losing 
unfurled  from  its  staff,  "fit  emblem  of  those  hellish  principles 
which  have  wrested  this  noble  land,  with  its  fertile  fields^  itf  ma- 

i'estic  rivers,  and  its  ocean  lakeiL  from  the  hands  of  an  imbecile 
:ing ;  which  have  rovolutionized  France  ;  and  which,  if  not  pro- 
vented  from  spreading,  will  one  day  overturn  the  thrones,  and 
destroy  the  ancient  established  monarchies  of  Earope  ;  that  vile 
rag  is  more  to  be  dreaded  by  us,  as  an  order,  than  all  things  else, 
beside  the  Bible.  If  it  be  peri^itted  to  pollute  the  pure  air  of 
Heaven  by  its  foul  embrace,  for  half  a  century  longer,  it  will  float 
on  eve:^  sea,  on  every  land,  and  be  the  rallying  sign  for  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth.  It  must  be  tom  down ;  it  must  be  trampled 
under  foot;  it  must  trail  dishonoured  in  the  dust,  or  our  cause  is 
lost.  In  token  of  your  love  for  the  order,  and  determination  to 
uproot  liberty — accursed  name,  mora  cursed  thing! — ^tear  it  from 
its  sup^rt,  and  trample  it  beneath  your  feet." 

Hastily  obeying  the  mandate,  the  candidate  flung  the  stripes 
and  stars  upon  the  floor,  and,  with  an  energy  which  declared  the 
feelings  of  his  heart,  ground  them  with  his  heel ;  while,  in  a  voice 
of  thunder,  the  Legate  cried— 


120 


Mysteries  of  a  GimTent 


**  Jemita,  dMtfoy  the  enemy  of  your  order.    A  bai  la  Ltberte." 

Like  at  a  herd  of  famished  wolves  rush  upon  their  prey,  rend* 
lug  and  tearioff  it  in  pieces,  while  growling  and  screaming  in  hor« 
riole  discord,  t£ey  oyertum  each  other  in  their  efforts  to  gratify 
their  rapacity :  so  rushed  these  Jesuits  upon  the  ensign  of  the 
world's  freedom,  and,  pushing  each  other  aside,  in  frantic  fury, 
they  soon  tore  it  into  a  thousand  fragments,  while  their  yells  and 
shouts-added  to  the  terrible  uproar  of  the  scene.  Meanwhile 
from  the  choir  came  forth,  in  strains  of  wild  excitement,  as  though 
the  downfall  of  man's  liherty  and  the  universiU  triumph  of  Jesuit- 
ism were  already  secured,  and  the  world  were  fixed  in  eternal 
slarery,  civil,  political,  and  religious— the  "Te  Deum  Laudamus  1" 
insulting  hign  heaven  with  blasphemous  asorijptions  of  praise,  as 
though  it  had  been  instrumental  in  a  destruction  of  all  that  is 
dearest  to  man,  and  of  highest  appreciation  in  the  sight  of  Otoi 
and.^f  the  blessed  angels. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Legate  had  received,  from  an  attendant 
priest,  a  gorgeous  ro.  d,  which  might  have  well  become  a  monarch, 
and,  when  the  insulting  strains  had  died  away,  and  the  prieats,  at 
his  command,  had  resumed  their  places,  he  advanced  to  the  can« 
didate,  who  stood  near  the  crucifix,  and,  throwing  the  garment 
upon  his  shoulders,  led  him  to  the  throne,  and,  seating  him  there, 
turned  to  the  priests,  saying — 

*'  Behold,  Jesuits,  the  Father  Qeneral  of  the  order  of  St.  Igna- 
tius Loyala,  for  the  United  States  of  America ;  whom  I  declare 
duly  appointed,  and  installed  in  that  high  office.  Approach,  and 
do  his  Lordship  reverence." 

So  saying,  he  caused  the  priests  to  kneel  around  the  throne,  anA 
to  repeat  aiter  him  the  following  salutation  and  oath  of  idlegi- 
anoe:— 

*'  Hail,  most  worthy  Father  Qeneral,  we  honour  thee  I 

**  We  solemnly  swear  full  and  explicit  allegiance  to  you,  as  ^he 
representative  of  the  Father  (General  of  the  order ;  and  to  obey, 
without  hesitation,  or  question^  any  command  that  you  may  give 
to  us,  while  holding  the  said  high  office ;  here  surrendering  our- 
selves body,  soul,  and  spirit, '  as  dead  corpses,'  to  your  control  and 
government,  to  be  directed  and  used  as  your  judgment,  and  that 
of  Him  whom  you  represent,  may  dictate." 

It  was  a  proud  moment  for  Francois  Jubert ;  and  well  did  it  re* 
pay  him  for  the  toil,  anxiety  and  effort,  which  it  bad  cost  him  to 
gain  the  eminent  distinction. 

A  choral  burst  of  melody,  swelling  the  general  joy  and  congra- 
tulation, closed  the  ceremonial ;  and  the  priests,  arising  from  their 
knees,  and  preceded  by  the  Legate  and  their  new  Father  Gener- 
al, repaired,  under  the  conduct  of  the  Superior  to  the  refectory, 
wnere  a  sumptuous  banquet  awaited  them. 


OHAFTEB  X. 

The  father  Oeneral's  affections  for  Sister  Frances  on  the  wane— Remores 
hST,  b7 instituting  her  to  the  office  pf  Superior  in  the  Convent  of  An- 
nunciation—Her active  and  proselyting  e£Forts  shortly  after  assnming 
office— Emily  de  Yere— The  Supenor's  base  conduct  towards  her. 

Fob  some  monthi  prior  to  the  oocorrenoes  which  hare  ju^t  beea 


Ijsteiies  of  a  (kmmt 


m 


deM^b«d,  th«  Mofh«r  Superior  of  tbe  AnnanoiattOD,  diataat  lomo 
fifty  milet  from  the  dty  of  New  York,  had  been  in  rery  feeble 
health ;  and.  among  the  fint  acts  which  the  Father  (General  was 
called  upon  to  p«aform  after  his  installation  into  office,  was  to  ap- 
point a  superior  to  fill  the  vaoanoy  occasioned  by  her  death. 

He  had  not  lost  his  attachment  to  Sister  Frances,  but,  with  the 
inconstancy  of  the  Jesuit  character,  he  had  for  some  time  past 
thouffht  it  no  harm  to  look  upon  other  pretty  faces  besides  hers ; 
and  his  facile  conscience  saw  no  impropriety  in  intrigues  with 
other  nnns  than  the  good  sister,  who.  ezceeaingly  jealous  of  her 
.  power  over  him,  muntained  a  most  rigid  watch  upon  his  conduct ; 
so  vigilant,  indeed,  that  there  had  a&eady  occurred  some  inter- 
esting quarrels  between  them,  which,  however,  were  easily  made 
up,  although  they  left  traces  of  uneasiness  behind  them  upon  her 
mind,  conscious,  as  she  was,  that  her  personal  attractions  were 
,  not  as  fresh  as  once  they  were. 

It  was,  therefore,  a  great  relief  to  the  Father  Qeneral  to  have 
it  in  his  power  to  appoint  Sister  Frances  to  the  vacancj[ ;  as, 
while  he  adroitly  persuaded  her  that  it  was  an  honour  which  ha 
had  long  been  anxious  to  see  conferred  upon  her,  and  one  for 
which  she  was  peculiarly  qualified,  he  would  thus  be  removed 
from  her  immediate  espionage,  and  be  more  at  liberty  to  act  as 
he  pleased. 

Connected  with  the  Convent  of  the  Annunciation,  was  a  rexj 
large  female  boarding-school,  which,  in  the  great  dearth  of  the 
means  of  education  existing  at  this  time,  was  very  extensively 
patronized  by  Protestant  families.  This  was  represented  to  Sis- 
ter Frances  as  being  a  ver^  strong  inducement  to  her  acceptance 
of  the  appointment,  since  it  wouM  afford  her  ample  opportunity 
for  the  protection  of  the  interests  of  the  order,  in  prbsely ting  to 
the  true  faith  the  children  of  heretics,  who  should  be  entrusted  to 
her  care. 

Ambitious  of  power  and  of  preferment;  and  such  anlippoiot- 
ment  as  this,  with  its  cognate  rank  and  influence  in  the  order, 
having  been  an  object  held  in  view  in  the  original  comp;?ot,  to 
which  allusion  has  alteady  been  made.  Sister  Frances  felt  a  sa- 
cred joy  in  its  contemplation ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  her  mind 
misgave  her  somewhat  as  to  the  real  motives  of  the  Father  Gten- 
eru ;  but  when,  in  an  interview  which  she  had  with  him,  in  her 
private  room,  she  broached  the  subject,  and  he,  with  well-affect- 
ed surprise,  the  most  solemn  protestations,  and  fondest  caresses, 
assured  her  that  she  was  wholly  misteken ;  she  suffered  herself 
to  be  deceived,  and  accepted  the  ofBoe,  as  an  additional  proof  of 
the  undiminished  affection  of  her  priest  lover. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  she  was  duly  installed  Mother 
Superior  of  -the  Convent  of  Annunciation,  and  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  her  new  stetion,  witii  a  spirit  and  zeal^  as  well  as  exhi- 
bition of  tcdente  of  the  highest  order,  which  bespoke  her  adapta- 
tion to  it,  and  presaged  a  brilliant  career  for  her  in  the  future. 

With  a  tact  rarely  equalled,  and  by  means  of  her  winning  man- 
sera,  and  consummate  skill  in  accommodating  herself  to  the  pe- 
culiarities of  those  whom  she  wished  to  control,  she  soon  succeed- 
ed in  engaging  the  affections  of  the  nuns,  and  especially  in  secur- 
ing those  of  the  young  ladies  who  were  boarding  pupils  in  the  es- 
tablishment. In  the  course  of  five  years  after  her  installation, 
she  was  the  instrument  of  converting  not  less  than  tl^y-fivc  of 


122 


Mystarlos  of  a  GmYsiiti 


the  latter  to  the  Bomuh  faith ;  tweWe  of  whom  joined  the  order, 
and  beoama  num. 

Among  the  latter  was  a  Miis  Bmiiie  de  Vere,  a  joang  girl, 
some  sixteen  yean  of  age,  of  lurpaMing  beauty,  and  the  only^ 
daughter  of  a  wealthy  planter  in  Louisiana,  who,  haying  lived  in 
New  York  for  some  time  before  he  remored  to  his  southern  home, 
had  selected  the  Oonyent  of  the  Annunciation,  as  a  suitable  place 
for  the  education  of  the  child,  because  of  its  remoteness  from  the 
city.  Mr.  De  Y ere  was  descended  from  Protestant  parentage,  aa 
was  his  wife,  but  thoue|ht  well  of  the  Oatholios^  and  apprehended 
no  danger  in  thux  plaomg  his  daughter  in  their  hands,  while  ho 
went  to  his  far-off  home,  not  expecting  to  see  her  again  for  some 
three  years.  Great  was  the  self-gratulation  of  l^he  Mother  Su« 
perior,  when  the  rich  heiress  Joined  the  Catholio  church,  bnt 
greatcnr  stiU  when  she  wore  the  habit  of  a  nun,  and  bore  the  name 
of  Sister  Theresa,  two  years  before  the  time  of  which  we  arenow 
writing. 

In  the  course  of  onf»  of  his  somewhat  frequent  yisits  to  the 
OouTent,— during  which  the  Mother  Superior  was  always  careful 
to  keep,  as  much  as  possible,  out  of  sight,  all  those  nuns  who  had 
any  pretensions  to  personal  attractions, — ^the  Father  QenerM  hap- 

Sined  to  meet  Sister  Theresa  in  one  of  the  passages ;  and,  imme- 
ately  recognising  her  as  one  whose  great  beauty  had  strongly 
aitixacted  his  hdtice,  on  the  occasion  of  her  taking  the  religious 
Vows,  he  entered  into  conversation  with  her ;  and,  while  holding 
her  hand  in  his,  and  giving  her  some  fatherly  advice,  the  Mother 
Superior,  having  occasion  to  pass  that  way^  unseen  by  them,  had 
witnessed  a  portion  of  the  interview,  and  imagined  that  she  saw 
enough  to  warrant  a  jealous  feeling  on  her  part,  and  to  deter- 
mine her  to' prevent  any  further  occurrence  of  a  similar  sort. 
Dissesibling  her  true  feelings,  however,  she  met  the  Father  Qen- 
oral,  in  half  an  hour  afterwards,  with  a  brow  as  pladd  as  if  no- 
thhig  hsA  ooourred  to  disturb  the  quiet  current  of  her  emotions. 
To  gratify  her  vindictiveaess,  nevertheless,  as  she  dared  not  re- 
proach the  Cteneral,  she  degraded  the  poor  nun,  for  a  month,  to 
servile  work  in  the  kitchen,  yrithout  assigning  to  her  any  other 
reason  for  so  doing,  than  her  own  will. 


CHAPTEB  XL 

Che  Father  Oenersl's  visit  to  theoonvent— His  Interest  for  Sister  Theresa 
—The  deformed  nun— Proposes  a  meeting  at  midnight  with  Sister  The- 
resa—The Mother  Superiors  kind  entertainment  ofthe  Father  General 
in  the  private  parlour— Her  chagrip  at  his  abruptly  leaving  her— Bus- 
pldon— Sister  Theresa's  sorrow  and  anxiety  at  receiving  the  Father's 
.  note— Her  trepidation  on  meeting  the  Father  General— He  reassures 
her— His  wily  stratagems  to  accomplish  his  base  objaot— A  wolf  in 
sheep's  clothing. 

Thb  Father  Gene  ."al  again  visited  the  convent,  in  about  siz  weeks 
after  this  unpleasant  occurrence ;  and,  as  he  ^>proached  the  great 
iron  gate,  the  image  of  the  beautiful  nu|i  arose  to  his  mind,  and 
he  determined,  if  possible,  to  learn  something  more  aboht  her ; 
but,  aware  of  the  sensitiveness  of  the  Mother  Superior,  he  knew 
that  his  inquiries  must  be  made  with  great  caution. 


ItystarlM  of  a  GonTent 


128 


Tb«n  wai.  in  th«  oShTant.  •  dtf ormad  mm,  who,  Immom  of  « 
ffimclg*  whiea  iha  bon  to  Mother  Vranoat.  and  of  tlM  uniform 
kindnoM  with  which  the  Qeneral  h«d  troated  her,  hea,  on  more 
then  one  ooeeiion,  been  of  service  to  him  in  hie  intrignes  in  the 
oonTeni    He  determined  to  make  sie  of  her  on  this  occasion. 

Accordingly,  seising  a  faTonrable  moment,  he  took  Sister  Mar- 
tina aside,  and.  asked  her  who  the  beautiful  nnn  was.  The  com- 
raonicatiTe  sister  answered  his  question,  and  said  so  much  about 
her,- and  the  cruel  treatment  which  she  had  recently  received  at 
the  hands  of  the  Mother  Superior,  for  she  knew  not  what  offence, 
as  she  afkmed,  as  greatly  to  enlist  his  feelings  in  behalf  of  Sister 
Theresa.  Hastily  writing  a  few  words  upon  a  piece  of  paper, 
which  he  took  from  his  pocket-book,  he  handed  it  to  the  nnn ; 
directing  her  to  give  it  to  Sister  Theresa,  and  to  be  discreet  about 
the  matter,  saying  that  he  would  reward  her  handsomely,  if  she 
did  not  betray  his  trust.  Then  returning  into  the  parlour,  where 
he  had  left  the  Superior,  he  chatted  gaily  with  her  until  they 
were  called  into  the  refectory  to  tea.  While  seated  at  the  table, 
the  nuns  and  boarders  all  present,  both  the  Father  Oeneral  and 
the  Mother  Superior  were  models  of  propriety  and  decorum ;  wad 
the  former,  especially,  was  oarefnl  not  to  cast  even  a  look  which 
could  serve  to  excite  any  suspicion  in  the  mind  of  the  Superior, 
while  their  j[uniors  were  greatly  edified  by  their  pious  conversa- 
tion concerning  some  of  the  saints,  and  the  miracles  that  had  been 
wrought  by  them. 

Arising  from  the  table,  the  Mother  Frances  invited  the  Qenwal 
to  her  private  parlour,  the  room  in  which  she  usually  entertain- 
ed him,  when  he  visited  the  convent.  This  was  one  of  a  suite  of 
rooms,  three  in  number,  set  apart  for  her  own  q>ecial  use,  and 
neve^  intruded  upon  save  by  her  own  invitation  or  permission : — 
all  of  these,  save  the  last,,  opened  upon  the  great  passage  v^hich 
ran  through  the  house,  on  the  second  floor.  The  first  of  this 
suite  was  furnished  as  a  private  parlour,  in  very  neat  and  ele- 
gant taste.  Communicating  with  this,  by  means  of  a  slidingpau- 
nel,  ao  inffenionsly  contrived  as  to  be  known  to  but  few  of  the 
iumates  of  the  family,  was  a  beautiful  bed-chamber,  most  taste- 
fully fitted  up ;  and  beyond  this,  and  accessible  only  from  this 
room,  was  a  smaller  apaxtment,  arranged  as  an  oratory,  having; 
a  mahogany  reading  desk,  a  magnificent  ebony  crucifix,  an  escri- 
toire inuda  with  mother  of  pear^  and  some  hanging  ahelves,  upon 
which  were  arranged  a  number  of  elegantly*bound  volnmea— the 
entire  suite  of  rooms  Was  handsomely  carpeted,  and  abounded 
with  indications  of  female  taste  and  refinement. 

Having  seated  themselves  upon  a  sofa  placed  at  one  side  of  the 

Srivate  parlor,  and  converged  for  some  time  upon  general  subjects, 
tie  Superior  arose,  and,  taking  from  a  small  sideboard  a  richly 
cut  decanter  of  old  wine,  with  some  glases,  and  a  plate  of  delioi- 
oha  apiced  cakea,  which  she  had  prepared  with  her  own  hands, 
she  placed  these  upon  a  table  which  stood  in  front  of  the  sofa, 
and  invited  the  General  to  partake  of  them,  and  to  join  her  in  a 
game  at  cheai,  of  which  die  knew  he  was  passionately  fond,  and 
for  which  die  had  arranged  the  materials  before  him. 

They  thus  occupied  themselves  until  the  convent  dock  tolled 
the  hour  of  deven,  when  the  Father  (General,  pleading  a  headache, 
and  affectionatdy  as  well  an  moat  gracefully  saluting  the  Mother 
Superior,  asked  toave  ffi  retire  to  his  own  apartment  which  was 


m 


HjBteries  of  a  GonTaat 


r 

i  I' 


liiiutad  on  the  ilnl  floor,  uid  olegtntlj  fiAiiihod.  Thii  the  lat- 
ter rather  ^gradondy  granted,  with  an  air  whidh  showed  that 
ehe  wae  disappointed ;  and  the  priest  retired.     '^ 

Meanwhil^  the  note  had  been  handed  to  Sister  Theresa,  by  the 
deformed  nun,  and  had  greatly  exdted  her  mind  by  its  contents. 

"  Meet  me  in  the  gar&n,  near  the  plam  tree,  alone,  at  mid- 
night:"—she  repeated,  for  the  twentieth  time,  as  she  sat  in  her 
room,  with  the  note  iu  her  hand,  thinking  oyer  its  contents. 

"  What  can  he  mean  P*'  And  then,  as  the  thought  that  his  in- 
tentions towards  her  might  be  those  of  ctU  flashed  across  her 
mind,  she  burst  into  tears,  exclaiming — 

"  What  have  I  done  or  said,  that  could  Vad  him  to  think  so 
meanly  of  me  P" 

"  Have  I  not  spumed  the  base  oyertures  of  my  own  confessor, 
Father  Jerome  P* 

"  Graoioua  heaven,  into  what  hands  hare  I  fallen  P" 

Here  a  sense  of  her  helpless  condition,  as  a  poor,  friendless,  and 
unprotected  nun,  was  forced  upon  her  mind,  with  such  terrible 
conviction,  that  she  became  feuf ully  agitated ;  and  throwing  her- 
self upon  the  bed,  she  wept  as  if  her  very  heart  would  break. 

"O  that  I  had  known  all  this,"  she  said,  her  voice  broken  by 
sobs— "  before  I  took  the  vows  1— How  sadly  have  I  been  de- 
ceived!" 

"  O.  what  ^^11 1  do  P  Where  shall  I  hide  myself  P  My  hononr/ 
my  life,  is  hunted  by  those  who  made  me  vow  eternal  iiliUjIMil 
and  purity  1"  .  v^^JSp' 

^  *'  But  recently  I  was  degraded  to  the  condition  of  a  rndSu^  I 
I  know  not  why ;  and  now  this  priest,  as  if  he  were  master  of  an 
eastern  harem,  and  I  his  G^rgian  slave,  bids  me  meet  him  alone 
in  the  garden  at  midnight  I      Good  God,  what  does  this  mean  f ' 

**  O  that  I  were  once  mora  vrithiu  reach  of  my  dear  father  I  how 
gladly  wosiid^  fly  to  him  for  protection  1" 

Bha  anin^btfiBtt  into  tears,  and  wept  most  bitterly :  then^  as  a 
mMuk  uionght  occurred  to  her  mind,  she  started  up,  exclaiming— 

'"^It  inay  he  so.    Perhaps  Sister  Martina  may  have  intimateato 
l^ii  iMbat  I  have  been  badly  treated,  and,  in  order  to  know;^  " 
(fDOlit  it,  without  the  danger  of  being  interrupted  by  the  1' 
Superior,  or  in  order  to  keep  her  from  knowing  that  be  had?i 
to  me  on  the  subject,  he  may  have  selected  this  time  anf 
with  a  view  to  secresy.     It  must  be  so."  ;  :^ 

The  more  die  thought  about  the  matter,  the  more  full[^  Evin- 
ced she  became  that  this  was  the  true  state  of  the  case ;  and  while 
she  felt  grateful  to  the  good  Father,  as  she  now  called  him,  when 
she  regarded  him  as  intending  to  befriend  her,  she  reproached  her- 
self for  having  thought  so  ungenerously  of  him.  The  idea  of  be- 
ing revenged  on  the  Mother  Superior,  dried  up  her  tears ;  and  she 
determinra  to  keep  the  appointment. 

It  now  wanted  hut  a  few  minutes  to  twelve;  and,  wrapping 
herself  up  in  a  heavy  shawl,  to  guard  against  the  chilly  midniffht 
air,  and,  with  her  heart  beating  wildly  within  her  breast,  she  left 
her  room,  and  noiselessly  creeping  down  the  great  stairway, 

Sausing  at  alihost  every  step,  as  she  fancied  that  some  one  Mta 
isoovered  her ;  while  she  started  at  the  verv  pantings  of  h« 
bosom,  she  reached  the  back  door  of  the  hall ;  whore,  findih 

key  in  the  lock,  she  turned  it»%ith  great  caution,  and  then,i 

ly  opening  one  dde  of  the  K^ding  leaves^  so  as  to  avoid  any 


;j^'*-'^'—*M>-'*^»>«^*"..^yy^jffl*--  *■**» 


Mn,f,„n  ^mm>»mmi.s^ 


it  the  lat. 

9W6dth«t 

n,  by  the 

Dontants. 
I,  at  mid- 
sat  in  her 
snti. 

>at  hii  in- 
oroM  her 

think  w> 

sonfeuor, 


lIiBss,  and 
tenible 
iflng  her- 
reak. 
rokenby 
been  de« 


r  faonoiiiy 


MysterieB  of  a  Gonyeni 


12(1 


.  I 

ter  of  an 
im  alone 
mean?" 
lerl  how 

^en^  as  a 
inunff— 
mated  to 


oonvin- 
id  while 
D»  when 
led  her- 
eof be- 
andihe 

rapping 
idnighf 
lei 


ereaUng  which  migh^  giro  notioe  of  her  moTementSi  and  looking 
out  intently  to  we  if  any  one  waa  paising  about,  the  went  forth, 

Slttietly  drawing  the  door  to  behind  her,  and,  with  quick  and  ei* 
ant  IMP,  hastened  to  the  garden.    It  waa  a  moonlignt  nighty  but 
haiy  and  somewhat  cloudy. 

On  arriving  af  the  spot  which  had  been  designated  in  the  note, 
she  was  surprised  to  find  that  there  was  no  one  there  but  herself ; 
and  she  was  about  to  couclude  that  she  was  the  victim  of  some 
treacherous  plot,  when  she  beheld  the  Father  Qeneral  rapidly  ap« 
preaching  her.  On  reaching  her,  he  extended  his  hand,  in  the 
kindest  manner,  saying,  as  he  did  so  : 

**  Thanks,  Sister  Theresa,  for  this  evidence  of  your  oonfldence 
in  your  Father  Qeneral.  I  was  half  afraid  that  you  would  not 
meet  me  I  \.  t  this  loiely  hour;  and  that  I  should  be  deprived 
of  theoppoiiv^itvof  doingyou  a  kindness.  But,"  added  he, 
perceiving  that  she  trembled  as  he  spoke  to  her,  "  fear  not,  my 
child ;  I  mean  you  no  harm ;  but  will  protect  you  from  all  injury 
and  insult." 

Beassure^Jby  these  words,  which  she  believed  to  be  sincere ; 
and  feelin|^asnamed  of  her  previous  misgiyinss  with  regard  to 
the  Fathers  intentions,  whion  now  seemed  to  oe  so  wholly  un- 
founded, the  nun  thanked  him  for  his  kind  consideration,  and 
said- 

"  I  have  every  confidence  in  the  honour  of  the  Father  Gtoneral, 
and  cannot  suppose  that  he  would  betray  that  confidence." 

"  Never,"  replied  the  wily  Jesuit,  who  quickly  perceived  the 
change  that  had  been  wrought  in  the  feelings  of  the  trusting 
girl ;  for  she  no  longer  trembled,  nor  seemed  disposed,  as  at  firs^ 
to  withdraw  her  hand  from  his. 

"  I  have  heard,"  he  continued,  "  no  matter  how  nor  from  whom, 
of  the  cruel  conduct  of  the  Superior  towards  you,  recently ;  ana 
I  wish  you  to  tell  me,  if  you  can,  why  she  did  so  r" 

"  I  know  not,"  replied  Sister  Theresa.  "  I  have  endeavoured 
faithfully  to  perform  every  known  duty,  and  to  comply,  as  far  as 
I  could,  with  e^ery  rule  of  the  institution.  I  have  always  treat- 
ed the  Mother  Superior  with  marked  respect;  rendering  instant 
obedience  to  her  every  command ;  and  I  cannot  imagine  why  she 
suddenly,  and  without  assigning  any  reason  whatever  for  i^  in- 
fiioted  so  severe  a  punishment  upon  me,  and  degraded  me  so  in 
the  eyes  of  the  whole  convent.  Had  the  punishnlent  been  con- 
tinued f  or.  a  short  time  longer,  I  should  have  been  seriously  ill, 
for  my  health  is  but  delicate  at  the  best." 

<<  "Wlien  did  she  order  you  to  this  menial  service  P"  asked  the 
Father,  eagerly. 

"  On  the  very  day  that  you  left  the  convent,  on  your  last  visit 
before  the  present,   replied  the  nun. 

"  I  s€e  it  all,"  muttered  the  priest,  as  if  communing  with  his 
own  thoughts ;  '*  it  is  as  plain  as  it  can  be.  Poor  fo<n,  to  think 
that  I  belong  to  her,  soul  and  body,  and  that  I  cannot  be  civil  to 
a  pretty  ntm,  but  that  instantly,  m  soon  as  my  back  is  tamed, 
the  poor  nun  must  be  a  victim  of  her  jealousy  and  wrath. 
Pshaw  1"  he  continued,  as  if  still  talking  to  himself;  "  she  shall 
suffer  for  this."  Thenf'seeming  to  reooUect  himself ,  he  said  to 
Sister  Theresa. 

"Never  mind.  I  am  your  friend  and  protector.  I  have  the 
right  and  the  power  to  shield  you  from  oppression  and  from  in- 


IgA 


Xysteries  of  a  OonTeiit 


■alt;  and,  shoold  yoor  fteliagi  erer  be  ontrfged  ofaln,  I  nqoir* 

Joa  to  let  me  know  it  «t  onoe,  th«t  I  may^tAke  the  neoeeiwy  etepe 
>  redme  the  wionff.  'Meanwhile,  say  nothing,  bat  leave  this 
matter  in  my  hands. ' 

**I  know  not  how  suffloiently  to  thank  yoa  for  yonr  kindness," 
rssvK>nded  the  nqn ;  her  heart  realljr  touched  by  what  she  belioT- 
ed  to  be  the  sino4re  friendship  of  toe  Father  Geaeral,  and  fully 
prepared  to  feel  all  its  force,  by  the  lonely  life  that  she  had  led— 
a  life  so  full  of  disappointment  as  to  the  expectations  whiohshe 
had  formed  when  entering  upon  the  religious  duties  of  a  nan— 
and,  with  the  tears  standing  upon  heroheek,  she  coutinued.  "  bat 
if  yon  will  show  me  how  I  may  eiince  my  gratitude,  I  will  most 
cheerfully  do  it." 

'*  You  can  show  your  gratitude,  Sister  Theresa,  by  loring  me," 
replied  the  priest,  in  low  and  thrilling  tones,  gently  putting  ms 
arm  around  her  waist,  and  drawing  her  to  him,  on  pretence,  as 
he  sadd,  of  protecting  her  from  the  cool  nisht  air ;  but,  as  he  per- 
ceived thai  she  shrank  from  his  embrace,  he  added, 

"  Fear  not,  my  child  ;  I  love  you  too  well  to  mean  yon  any 
harm." 

He  then  entered  into  a  lengthy  conversation  with  her,  touching 
her  studies,  her  employments,  and  what  not  that  was  likely  to  in- 
terest her  mind,  and  inspire  her  with  confideuoe ;  and  then,  tell- 
ing her  it  was  time  that  they  should  return  to  the  house,  he  in- 
quired the  humber  of  her  room,  and  its  position  in  the  building ; 
saying  to  her  that,  on  the  following  night,  he  would  visit  her 
there,  in  order  to  instruct  her  how  to  spend  her  time  in  the  fu- 
ture, BO  as  to  prepare  herself  to  occupy  the  position  of  Mother 
Superior,  in  her  own  turn,  when  she  should  be  a  litMe  older  and 
more  experienced. 

Meanwhile,  the  wily  priest  kept  his  arm  around  Sister  There- 
sa, and,  wallung  thus  to  the  house,  he  gave  her  what  he  called 
the  kiss  of  peace,  at  parting,  and  each  sought  their  own  room; 
the  former  feeling  assured  that  he  had  gained  a  victory ;  the  lat- 
ter, as  she  had  never  done  before  in  ail  her  life ;  her  soul  a  sea 
of  tumultuous  emotion.  The  Father  General  soon  fell  asleep 
and  dreamed  of  beautiful  nuns  and  bowers  of  roses ;  the  unhap- 

Ey  Sister  Theresa  laid  awake  for  hours,  tossing  restlessly  upon 
er  couch.  She  felt  that  she  was  caught  in  the  coils  of  thepnest, 
and  that  it  was  as  useless  for  her  to  struggle  against  what  seem- 
ed to  be  her  inevitable  destiny,  as  for  the  poor  fly,  caught  in  the 
meshes  of  the  spider's  web,  to  attempt  to  escape  its  impending 
fate.  She  felt  that  she  was  powerless  in  the  bands  of  an  all- 
powerfuTfoe ;  and,  though  she  deeply  regretted  having  keptJthe 
appointment,  and  met  the  Father  in  the  garden,  yet,  strange  to 
say,  she  did  not  after  all  wish  to  avoid  the  meeting  on  the  foUow- 
iug  night.  In  truth,  the  arch  magician  had  infused  his  poison 
into' her  young  soul ;  and  his  foul  necromancy  had  thrown  a  spell 
upon  her,  which  she  no  longer  desired,  or  had  the  strength,  to 
break.  She  was  doomed,  and  yet  she  trembled  not ;  she  was  in 
chains,  and  still  she  hugged  those  chains  to  her  breast,  and  seem- 
ed to  delight  in  wearing  them.  The  priest  had  silenced  her  mo- 
nitory fears ;  had  thrown  her  off  her  guard ;  had  awakened  feel- 
ings of  gratitude,  which  were  eacily  transmuted  to  others  <rf  a 
wanner  nature ;  and  the  hellish  work  was  well  nigh  oomploted— 
the  oonsummation  waited  but  for  the  oooasios* 


Xysteries  of  a  GonTent 


127 


En*  I  Nqairt 

t  iMTe  this 

r  klndntM,** 
•he  beliey. 
\t  andfoUy 
•  bad  led-- 
wUoh  she 
of  ft  aan-— 
aued. «« but 
[  wUl  moat 

>Ting  me," 
puttTog  hii 
reteaoe,  as 
aiheper- 

yoa  auy 

» tottohiDff 
kelytoin. 
thea,  tell. 
ISO,  he  in- 
buildioff; 
▼uit  her 
a  thefa- 
>f  Mother 
alder  and 


le 


There, 
called 
i  room; 

thelat. 
ul  a  aea 
i  asleep 
nnhap. 
Ijvjpoa 
epnest, 
''  seem. 

in  the 
>ending 
an  all. 
apt4he 
angeto 
follow, 
poison 
a  spell 
gth,to 
was  in 
seem. 
Br  mo. 
dfeel. 
s  of  a 
rted- 


Oh,  yt  wll-annoteted.  self>exalted  priests,  that  pat  yoiiiMlTes 
**  aboTt  a?l  that  is  called  Ood,  or  that  is  worshippwl  -/*  •*  slttiog 
in  the  temple  of  Ood.  showing  TourselTes  that  ye  an  God* 
**  whose  coming  is  after  the  wornog  of  Satan,  with  all  power, 
and  ligns,  and  lying  wonders,  and  with  all  deceiTableness  of  an. 
righteousness;**  ye  " false  prophets ;"  ye  " ravening  woItcs  ?a 
sheep's  clothing  r  ye  "blind  guides,'*  that  "compass  sea  and 
land  to  make  one  proselyte ;  and,  when  he  is  made,  ye  make  him 
two-fold  more  the  child  of  hell  than  yonrselTes;''  yeunooth. 
faced  hypocrites  that  devour  virgin  innocence,  "  and,  for  a  pre- 
tence,  make  long  prayers ;"  ye  priests,  that  work  your  damning 
deeds,  in  the  dark  shrouding  of  the  midnight  hour;  and  then, 
with  unblushing  countenance,  go  forth  in  broad  day,  and  look 
honesty  in  the  eye ;  when  the  oispartiag  veil  of  eternity  shall  be 
drawn  aside,  and  the  judgment  trump  shall  summon  you  to  stand 
before  the  dread  bar  of  Him  whose  searching  gase  now  pene. 
traies  your  convent  walls,  your  monastio  cells,  your  dark  hiding, 
holes,  where  works  "  the  mystery  of  iniquitv,'  and  reads  all  your 
damnable  crimes  as  though  they  stood  emblazoned  in  the  face  of 
the  noontide  sun  ;  ah  I  how  will  ye  quail  then  1  how  will  y»seek 
to  escape  iVa  fearful  inspection  of  that  hour,  iu  the  presence  of  a 
congregated  universe,  and  unbidden  try  to  hide  yourselves,  and 
your  hellish  deeds,  in  the  depths  of  eternal  night  I  But  know, 
"  ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vipers,  ye  cannot  escape  the  dam- 
nation  of  hell ;"  "  the  Lord  shall  consume  you  witlrthe  spirit  of 
his  mouth,  and  shall  destroy  you  with  the  brightness  of  his  com. 
ing.*'  Babylon  "  shall  be  utterly  burned  with  fire;  for  strong  is 
the  Lord  God  who  judgeth  her/' 


CHAFTEBXU. 

Interregnum— The  fotnily  of  Mr.  Moreton— Discnssion  on  the  education 
given  in  boarding-sohools. 

The  reader  must  now  suffer  himself  to  be  carried  forward  over 
an  iaterval  of  three  years,  and  be  presented  to  an  interesting  fa* 
mily  circle,  whose  members  will  have  a  large  share  in  the  scenes 
of  tne  following  pages. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moreton  were  the  parents  of  an  interesting  fa* 
mily,  consisting  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters,  living  in  the 
town  of  — — ,  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  about  eighty  miles 
from  the  city  of  New  York. 

Mary,  the  eldest  of  the  five  children,  was  a  handsome  brunette, 
just  entered  into  her  seventeenth  year,  and  had  been  wholly  edn* 
cated  in  her  native  town.  Julia,  the  next  in  age,  was  fourteen, 
and  gifted  with  strong  natural  powers  of  mind,l>ut  nof  as  hand- 
some as  her  sister  Mary.  Mrs.  Moreton  was  a  lady  of  ezcellejit 
judgment  and  refined  manners,  but,  like  her  husband, — who  was 
a  merchant,  in  very  comfortable  oircnmstanoes— not  a  member  of 
any  church.  Having  received  a  better  education  than  her  com- 
panion, she  had,  in  matters  of  this  sort,  acquired  considerable  in- 
fiuence  over  him  ;  while,  with  the  sagacity  and  prudence  of  a 
business  man,  he  looked  narrowly  to  the  expenses,  and  was,  to  a 
certam  extent,  liable  to  the  charge  of  penunonaness ;  yet  he  dear. 


128 


Vysterles  of  a  Gonyriit 


h 


I7  loT«d  hU  funilT,  and  wm  wiUing  to  inour  mnj  naionabU  <mt- 
1*7,  for  AOTthiiig  M  thought  would  promoto  their  happiuoM,  or 
Monr*  their  «d?anMment  in  life. 

One  winter  eveniog,  after  tea,  when  the  young  ohildren  had 
been  lent  to  the  nunery,  Mary  futViug  gone  to  a  party  at  a  neigh* 
boor's,  and  Julia  being  Mated  at  a  table  by  benelf,  engaged  in 
prepanug  her  lesionefor  the  next  day,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moreton 
were  litting  in  their  snug  baok  parlour,  by  a  blaiing  fire,  talking 
oTer  domutio  matters,  when  the  following  oouTersation  oocurred 
between  them: 

"I  think,  Mr.  Moreton,  that  we  ought  to  send  Julia  to  a  good 
boarding  school.  She  is  fast  growing  up  to  womanhood;  her 
teaohershere  cannot  instruct  her  much  further;  and,  besidesi 
there  are  many  advantages  to  be  enjoyed  at  subh  a  school,  which 
■he  cannot  possibly  have  at  home." 

"  Why  so  r  Hare  we  not  good  teachers  in  our  town,  as  good  as 
any  where  else  ?  I  am  sure  that  Mr.  Tread  well  has  adranced  Ju- 
lia very  rapidly ;  and  I  beard  you  tell  Mrs.  Winslow.the  other 
day,  that  she  ud  learned  more,  in  the  same  length  of  time,  under 
his  instruction,  than  from  any  other  teacher  to  whom  she  had  ever 
been  sent." 

'*  Very  true,  my  dear,  and  yet  I  discover  that  Julia  is  greatly 
interrupted  in  her  studies,  by  tae  company  which  her  sister  re- 
ceives ;  and  when  visitors  are  in  the  drawing-room  with  Mary,  Ju- 
lia seems  to  tbluk  it  verv  hard,  indeed,  that  she  must  sit  up  stairs, 
and  study.  I  find,  too,  that  her  head  is  full  of  dreas,  and  iewellery, 
and  parties,  and  beaux,  young  as  she  is ;  and,  when  sne  passes 
through  the  streets  on  ner  wav  to  school,  she  sees  a  great  deal  to 
divert  her  mind  from  her  books.  Besides,  these  mixed  schools 
may  do  well  enough  for  younger  ohildren,  but  Julia  is  too  old  to  go 
any  longer  to  one  where  bovs  and  girls  are  tautt^it  together.  In 
short,  I  think  it  high  time  that  she  should  )te  sent  from  home,  to 
a  good  boarding  sonool,  for  at  least  two  years." 

**  Well,  but  Ido  not  see  what  you  wcnld  gain  bv  sending  her 
to  such  a  sbhool,  even  on  your  own  showing.  Will  Ae  not  be  as 
f^nd  oi  dress  there  as  here,  and  will  she  not  find  quite  as  much  to 
district  her  mind  from  study  P" 

**  Certainly  not.  In  a  well-regulated  boarding  school,  every 
thing  is  taken  care  of,  and  providfed  for,  even  to  we  minutest  de« 
tails.  Extravagance  in  dress,  and  fondness  of  display,  are  dis- 
couraged as  much  as  possible ;  and,  indeed,  there  are  no  incentives 
or  opportunities  for  either,  since  the  young  ladies  are  seldom  seen 
upon  the  streets,  and  the  visits  of  young  men  are  forbidden :  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  bv  means  of  a  systematic  arrangement  of  time— > 
a  useful  occupation  being  found  for  every  hour ; — ^the  presence  of 
teachers  of  the  very  best  abilities,  who  have  adopted  the  businesa 
as  a  profession,  ana  not  as  a  merely  temporary  means  of  sup^rt; 
and  the  stimulus  to  study  which  is  furnished  by  the  competition 
of  a  number  of  schoolmates,  for  the  honours  of  the  institution,  a 
hefdthf ul  ambition  is  excited,  and  habits  are  formed,  which  not 
only  greatly  facilitate  the  acquirements  of  a  thorough  education, 
but  areofessentiaiserviceinaxterdays,  when  school-lx>oks  are  laid 
aside,  and  the  sterner  duties  of  life  make  hourly  demands  up9a 
our  industry,  patience,  and  fortitude." 

"  And  still  it  seems  to  me  that,  if  the  same  system  and  disoio 
pline  were  established  at  home,  whiob  you  say  are  to  be  met  with 


l^jrsteites  of »  Otmnoi 


hi  IhtM  boftiding  nhooU^  »ftd  wliott  iaportonM  I  fMdII] 
ISm  mum  miiltt  might  m  ■Mmxad,  mad  oertainlj  «l  maeh 


tmAftf  mimt% 


**  ImpoMibls^Mr.  MoretonI  how-ouil.  In  th*  midil  of  homt 
dlttraouons,  and  with  laoh  a  family  as  I  naTa,  adopt  any  rooh 
ooune  P  The  house  is  to  be  kept ;  the  younger  ohUdren  an  to 
ba  attended  to ;  ooiupany  to  be  eotertaioed ;  tisits  to  be  return- 
ad  ;  Mary  requires  a  la«M  share  of  my  time  aud  care  t  for  her 
ffdueaMon,  ooaduoted  entirely  at  home,  is  exoeediagly  aefeotire; 
and  this  remiods  me  of  one  most  importaat  ad?anta(,e  that  is  de« 
rlred  from  these  schools, — the  early  formatioo  of  habits  of  ««{A 
rriianoi.  Now,  you  know  what  a  baby  Mary  is:  and  yet  she  ia 
MTeuteen.  She  cannot  move  without  me,  All  day  long  it  is, 
*  Ma,  show  me  how  to  do  this ;'— *  Ma,  do  go  to  such  a  place  with 
me,  or  out  shopping;'—'  Ma,  will  you  fix  my  hair,  or  adjust  my 
dress  f— *  Ma.  will  you  just  go  into  the  parlour  with  m6  to  see 
my  company  r  I  cannot  ko  alone.*  I  do  verilv  belicTe  that  it 
would  be  the  same  thing  if  she  wera  married,  and  that  she  would 
not  be  willing  to  go  to  housekeeping  without  me.  It  is  not  so 
with  Miss  Bamsey,  or  Miss  Patersou,  who  were  both  playmates 
of  Mary's,  when  they  were  children,  and  you  know  that  they  ware 
educated  at  boarding  schools.  They  were  amiable,  modest,  aud 
accomplished  young  ladies;  and  yet  they  make  their  own  dres- 
ses ;  assist  their  mother  in  keeping  house  ;  are  handy  at'almost 
•Tory  thing;  are  always  self-possessed  and  agreeable  in  their 
manners ;  and,  for  all  I  can  see,  love  their  parents  just  as  fondly 
as  Mary  does  hers ;  while  they  are  not  dependent  upon  their  mam* 
mas,  as  she  is  upon  me.  I  do  not  know  what  Mary  would  do  if 
I  were  to  be  takea  away  from  her,  or  what  she  will  do  when  she 
is  married." 

**  Well,  my  dear,  I  see  yon  have  thought  a  great  deal  more 
about  these  things  than  I  have ;  aud  I  am  therefore  willing 
to  try  the  experiment,  next  api'itig,  for  one  session.  If  the  ^sult 
is  satisfactory,  we  will  continue  Julia  at  some  good  boarding- 
school  until  she  graduates ;  if  not,  she  must  come  nome,  and  fin- 
ish her  eduoattou  here." 

"  But,  Mr.  Morton,  believe  me,  that  is  not  the  way  to  try  th/s 
experiment,  as  you  call  it ;  it  does  not  afford  time  enough  to  do 
the  matter  justice;  and  I  really  believe  that  one  session  only 
would  be  both  time  and  money  thrown  away.  Send  her  with  the 
expectation  of  continuing  for  one  year,  or  not  at  all.** 

**  Be  it  so,  then ;  but  where  shall  we  send  her  ?  Have  you 
made  choice  of  any  school,  in  your  mind  P'* 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  two  schools ;  but  really  so  far  as  I 
have  any  means  of  jud^^ng,  there  appears  to  be  but  ''^Me,  if  any, 
difference  between  them.  Both  have  their  minic  .s  of  high 
standing,  who  have  employed,  as  assistants,  the  best  teachers,  I 
am  told,  within  their  reach  ;  and  have  equal  facilities,  I  suppose, 
for  the  education  of  those  who  may  be  sent  to  them.  The  one  is 
at  Philadelphia,  and  the  other  near  New  York ;  and,  as  the  for- 
mer is  rather  mora  uuiiveuieut  for  us,  as  well  as  cheaper  than  the 
other,  I  should  prefer  it :— besides,  it  is  in  our  own  State." 

'*  Ah !— these  Protestant  schools  are  too  expensive  for  me,  my 
dear ;  I  cannot  afford  to  send  Julia  to  one  of  ttiem.  Why  not 
■end  h^  to  one  of  the  Catholic  schools  P'* 

**  Mr.  Morton,  yon  astonish  me  t— Send  her  to  a  Catholic  sohooll 
Would  you  have  our  Julia  to  be  made  a  Catholic  P" 

X 


180 


Ifysteries  of  a  Convart 


11 


**  And  w1iy»  pray,  ihonld  that  be  the  ^taltr  I  do  not  iee  that 
Ik  followa,  as  a  necessary  result." 

**  It  may  not  as  a  necessary  result,  but  it  appears  to  me  to  be  ft 
iwtv  natural  one.  I  must  confess  that  my  Protestant  education 
iBMlnee  me  to  look  upon  Bomish  institutions  with  a  very  suspid- 
Otts  eye ;  and  my  observation  in  life  has  but  confirmed  my  pxein- 
jUea  on  this  subject,  if  prejudice  it  can  be  properly  termed.  Did 
Bot  ICiss  Williams,  after  having  been  at  a  Catholic  school  for 
rtient  a  year,  write  home  to  her  mother,  for  permission  to  be 
bsiptised  by  a  priest,  and  join  the  church  P  And  you  reooUeot 
tkat  Miss  Beaumont,  when  at  our  house,  on  her  way  to  the  nuu- 
»eiy  Mhool,  where  she  had  been  for  a  year  or  two,  told  you  that 
•he  believed  the  Boman  Catholio  to  be  the  only  true  religion  ; 
fllfinir  af  her  reason  that  it  was  more  probable  that  the  transla- 
lion  el  the  Bible,  which  was  made  by  the  Pope  and  his  Cardinals, 
llMmld  be  truer  than  that  made  by  one  man.  King  James  of  Eng- 
iMkd ;  and  when  you  asked  her  where  she  had  got  that  precious 
yieea  of  information,  she  replied  that  sister  Agatha  had  told  her 
m.  And  yet  the  parents  of  both  these  young  ladies  are  strict 
Vtotestants,  and  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  You, 
dtfttbtiess,  remember,  too,  to  have  heard,  also,  of  a  young  lady, 
vriMse  name  I  do  not  recollect,  but  who  was  the  daughter  of  F)ro- 
teetant  parents,  and  who,  havingt^aduated  at  a  Catholio  school, 
determine4  fo  become  a  nun,  and  refused  to  leave  the  institution, 
even  to  pay  a  farewell  visit  to  her  friends,  before  separating  her- 
self for  ever  from  them.  Indeed  I  have  never  conversed  with 
Plrotestants  who  had  been  educated  by  Catholio  teachers,  that 
wonld  suffer  one  word  to  be  said,  in  tbeir  hearing,  in  disparage- 
nwnt  ol  that  church.  Now  all  this  confirms  me  in  the  fear  that, 
if  our  daughter  should  be  sent  to  a  Catholic  school,  she  wiU  oi«' 
thev,  beoome  a  member  of  that  faith,  or  be  so  weakened  in  her 
attachment  to  fa«r  own,  as  seriously  to  be  injured  by  it,  if,  indeed, 
tbe  zesDll  do  not  tend  to  infidelity." 

"  WeU,  ay  dear,  you  are  certainly  very  eloquent  on  the  snb- 
Jeet,  and  yet  you  have  failed  to  convince  me  that  your  fears  have 
any  other  fyiundation  than  prejudice ;  and  while,  if  I  thought 
tMra  was  any  real  danger,  I  should  be  quite  as  unwilling  as  your- 
sell  to  expose  JuKa  to  it,  I  am  convinced,  I  must  give  my  prefer* 
•nee  to  that  school  which  costs  tbe  least,  provided  the  education- 
al ad  vaatafresarer  equal;  and  I  presume  they  are.  I  therefore 
prefer  that  Jutia  rtieuMt  go  to  the  nunnery  school.** 

"It  does  seem  to  me,  Mr.  Moreton,  that  there  must  be  some 
mistake  as  to  the  superior  cheapness  of  the  CathoUo  schools,  in 
ftiat,  whilo  I  admit  that  in  appearance  they  are  so.  Are  you  sura 
tiiat  they  are  cheaper  in  the  end  f* 

"  I  have  ssen  and  eompared  tiie  oironlars  put 'forth  by  both 
■ides;  and  certainly  so  far  as  these,  in  their  respective  statements 
of  terms,  &e.,  afford  proper  data  upon  which  to  foYm  an  opinion, 
the  Catholic  schools  seem  to  have  the  decided  advantage :  but  I 
am  awarto  that,  after  all^  it  is  exceedin<!ly  difficult  to  arrive  at 
the  truth  of  the  matter  in  this  way.  The  only  sure  method  of 
determining  tho  qutetton,  is  to  compare  tbe  bill  as  made  out  and 
paid  at  the  close  of  the  sessions.'' 

**Yes— and  I  know  that  many  parents  have  been  greatly  dis- 
appointed when  they  called  for  their  bills,  and  found  them  so 
asitek  kighar  than  tkay  had  expected,  by  reason  of  ex^ra  duirgtt,. 


that 


ytjtMiSB  of  ft  OOBTQDti 


m 


■itttoMthuktoMoalttiedifleraBoeiatlMappsraiit  ooftof  edit* 
eation  at  theM  Oatholio  aohools,  as  set  forth  ia  these  oinmlaM. 
And  VtmOi  tlMre  is  sudh  a  thing,  yoa  know,  as  finding  »  oheap  ar- 
tiele  of  little  real  Talne  after  yon  hare  bought  it,  when  a  siMll 
addition  to  the  outlay  at  the  time  of  purohase  would  have  bought 
one  infinitely  superior,  and  of  permanent  worth. 

'*WeU,  my  dear,  it  grows  late:  suppose  we  defet  the  further 
oonsideratlon  of  this  matter  for  a  few  days,  until  I  shall  return 
Irem  Kaw  York,  where  I  must  go,  next  week,  for  goods." 

8*  <^Fing,  the  subjeot  was  dropped  for  the  present ;  and,  ICary 
ftaviag  returned  from  the  partT,  after  a  lively  conTersation  iipDu 
the  incidents  of  the  evening  that  she  had  spent  at  theii  iMigh- 
bauc'%  the  family  retired  fov  the  n^ht. 


•OHAFTEB  Xm. 

Mr.  IfdMtOB  tlslts  New  Tork-Hia  eouTenatlofl  with  Mr.  Tsndaiietf— Its 
sffMt  npsB  Mr.  Moieton— Mr.  Ysnduaen's  letter  to  the  Mother  Supeiioi. 

Dnlnrtt  the  following  week^  Mr.  Moreton  went  to  New  York,  to 
purohase  goods;  aaid,  while  Mtting  in  the  counting-room  of 
Messrs.  Yandusen  and  Co.,  with  whom  he  dealt  largely,  waiting 
for  his  bUls  to  be  mside  out,  the  senior  partner  remarked  to  him— 

**  By  the  way,  Mr.  Moreton,  yon  have  a  family,  have  you  not  t" 

"Yes,  sir,"  was  the  reply—**  a  wife  and  five  children;  three  of 
wllom  are  daughters." 

<*  Where  are  tou  educating  them  f"  asked  the  merchant. 

'*  The  oldest  nas  finished  her  education,"  returned  Mr.  l^ore- 
ton*— **  but  the  next  oldest  ought  to  be  sent  to  a  boarding-school 
loitaewhere,  and  I  must  confess  I  am  greatly  at  a  loss  where  to 
place  her.  I  would  like  to  send  her  to  the  Catholic  school  at 
Bethlehem,  because  it  is  so  much  cheaper  than  our  Protestant 
schools ;  but  Mrs.  Moreton  is  so  opposed  to  trusting  her  daugh- 
ter in  the  handeof  the  Catholics,  that  I  do  not  like  to  say  posi- 
tivelv  she  shall  go  there." 

"Itievery  natnral,  indeed,  that  the  women  should  feel  thus 
opposed  to  these  Catholic  schools.  My  wife,  for  instance,  was 
Violently  opposed  to  them ;  but  they  are,  after  all,  the  best  schools, 
my  dear  sir,  depend  upon  it.  Oiur  oldest  daughter  has  been  for 
two  years  at  the  convent  school,  some  fifty  miles  from  this  city ; 
netwithstanding  the  opposition  of  her  mother,  who  reluctantly 
yielded  to  my  wishes  in  the  matter;  and  I  assure  you  that  she  is 
making  most  astonishing  progress  in  her  studies.  Mrs.  Vandu- 
•eu,  findiuff  this  to  be  the  case,  has  becoue  quite  reconciled,  and 
BOW  sees  the  folly  of  her  former  dislike  to  these  institutions." 

"But  you  have  a  very  excellent  boarding  school  in  your  own 
dty,  I  am  told,  conducted  by  a  Presbyterian  minister;'  I  should 
have  thought  that  you  would  have  patronized  that  school,  as  you 
belong  to  that  denomination/'  remarked  Mr.  Moreton,  in  an  in- 
terrogative tone. 

**  So  I  do  belong  to  that  denomination,  my  dear  rir,  but  I  do 
not  feel  as  if  I  were  under  any  obligation,  for  that  reason,  to  pay 
thy  per  cent,  more  for  the  education  of  my  danghter  at  a  Fkes- 
bytenaa  ashool,  ttkan  I  would  have  to  pay  at  one  belonging  to 


18ft 


Mysteries  of  a  GonTeiLt 


the  Cbfholiot.   These  Firoteitaat  lohoolB  are  too  high  for  me,  ICr. 
Moreton ;  I  cannot  stand  their  onoonsoionable  prices/' 

**  That  is  Jost  what  I  told  Mrs.  Moreton ;"— was  the  reply,  in  s 
tone  that  evinced  the  gratification  of  the  speaker  at  ilnding  that 
he  was  not  mistaken  in  his  Tiews,  as  expressed  to  his  wife ;  for 
he  was  exceedingly  tenaoions  of  his  opinions—"  but  she  was  un- 
der the  impression  that  the  extras  which  are  charged  in  the  bills, 
made  the  Oatholic  schools  the  most  expensire,  after  all." 

'*  It  is  a  mistake,  my  dear  sir,  depend  upon  it,"— said  the  mer- 
ohant— **  at  least  such  has  not  been  my  experience ;  and  the  *  truth 
of  the  pudding'— you  know  the  rest.  I  surely  ought  to  know  all 
about  it,  after  two  years'  experience." 

Mr.  Moreton  felt  perfectly  satisfied  upon  the  point  of  expense, 
but  asked  Mr.  Yandusen  to  tell  him,  candidly,  what  he  thought 
about  the  efforts  of  the  priests  and  nuns  to  proselyte  Protestant 
children  to  the  Bomish  faith ;  and  whether  he  had  any  reason  to 
belieye  that  they  had  tunperedwith  the  religious  faith  of  his 
daughter. 

**  It  is  all  humbug.  Sir  *,"— replied  the  latter,  with  some  warmth 
of  manner, — "  the  result  of  sectarian  bigotry.  I  am  astonished, 
as  a  practical  man,  that  sensible  people  should  have  raised  such 
a  hue  and  cry  about  the  proselyting  disposition  of  the  Oatholics. 
I  assure  you  that  I  do  not  believe  a  word  of  it." 

Mr.  Moreft6n  thanked  the  merchant  for  his  information,  and 
expressed  his  determination  to  send  his  daughter,  the  next  spring, 
to  the  Oatholic  school  at  Bethlehem. 

"But,y  replied  Mr.  Yandusen,  "  is  not  that  too  near  home,  sir  P 
My  advice  to  you  would  be,  not  to  send  your  daughter  where  she 
would  be  anxious  to  come  home  every  week,  because  it  was  so 
short  a  distance  to  travel,  and  where  she  would  be  dissatisfied  if 
she  did  not  get  to  visit  her  friends  frequently ;  but  to  place  her 
at  school  at  such  a  distance  as  to  make  it  inconvenient  for  her  to 

go  home  oftener  than  once  in  six  months,  since  her  mind  would 
e  undisturbed  by  the  proximity  of  her  relations,  and  her  pro* 
gress  in  her  studies  would  conseouently  be  the  greater;"  and  as- 
sured Mr.  Moreton  that  he  considered  the  school  to  which  he  sent 
his  own  daughter,  the  very  best  in  all  the  country. 

Oonvinced  by  his  arguments,  Mr.  Moreton  thanked  the  mer- 
duint  again,  and,  having  settled  his  bills,  bade  him  farewell,  and 
returned  to  the  hotel  where  he  was  stopping. 

No  sooner  had  he  left  the  counting-room,  than  Mr.  Yandusen, 
with  great  glee  expressed  in  his  countenance,  sat  down  at  hie 
desk,  and  wrote  the  following  letter,  which  he  despatched  to  the 
post  office. 

"  New  Tork,  December  6, 1810. 

*'  To  the  Mother  Superior  of  the  Ck>nvent  of  the  Annunciation. 
**DkabMat)Aji, 

"I  have  just  had  a  long  conversation  with  one  of  my  custom- 
ers, a  Mr.  Charles  Moreton,  of  Pennsylvania.  He  is  a  wealthy 
merchant,  having  two  daughters  to  be  educated ;  one  of  whom  he 
will  no  doubt  send  to  you  next  spring ;  and  the  other,  in  due  time, 
if  he  should  be  pleased.  I  found  his  head  full  of  the  usual  no- 
tions about  extras,  and  proselyting,  and  all  that,  but  succeeded  in 
sweeping  the  cobwebs  from  his  brain.  I  think  yon  may  certain- 
ly  calculate  upon  his  bringing  you  his  daughter  in  the  sprin». 

riu  cieoitmy  aooount  with  twenty  dcX- 


When  ihA  anives,  you  wi 


XTsteries  of  a  ConTBni 


las 


aooording  to  onr  oontraot.     I  hope  my  danghtei't  faealth  b 

aud  that  she  projtresses  well  in  iier  studies.    The  affair  of 

oomeson  swiifamingly.    I  shall,  without  doubt,  get 


that  money  secured  to  the  order. 

"  With  the  h^;he8t  consideration,  I  remain 

"Your unworthy  servant, 


and 


CHAFTEB  ZI7. 

Mr  Voreton^  sanguine  partiality  to  Catholic  schools— Mrs.  HoretonV 
fears  and  doabto— Julia  sent  ju  a  boarder  to  the  Oonvent  of  the  An- 
nnneiation— Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moreton  attend  the  first  ezamination— Ba* 
gaging  manners  of  the  Mother  Superior— Extras— The  parents  reoelve 
alarmmg  intelligence— Distress  and  anxiety— Mr.  Moreton  hastens  to 
snatdi  bis  child  from  her  impending  doom— Arrives  at  the  OoiiTen^ 
and  demands  to  see  his  daughter— Falsehood  and  treacltery  of  the  Mo- 
ther Saperior-Jolia  rushes  into  her  &ther's  arms,  and  is  home  by 
him  flrom  the  hatred  Convent. 

WBKir  Mr.  Moreton  returned  home,  be  related  to  his  wife  th« 
conversation  which  had  taken  place  between  himself  and  Mr. 
Yandusen ;  laying  great  stress  upon  the  fact  that  the  latter  was 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,— than  which  none  had  a 
more  inveterate  hostility  towards  the  Catholics,  or  had  done  more 
to  expose  the  errors  of  their  doctrines,  or  the  enormity  of  their 
practices ;  and,  as  he  said,  it  spoke  volumes  in  refutation  of  the 
slanders  which  bad  been  heaped  upon  the  Catholics,  that  a  Pras« 
byterian  should  bear  such  testimony  as  he  had  borne  to  the  ez« 
cellence  of  the  convent  school,  the  cheapness  of  its  ter^is,  and  the 
absence  of  intention  or  effort  to  proselyte  the  children  of  Protea- 
taut  parents.  Withal,  the  fact  that  he  was  sending  his  own 
daughter  to  this  same  school,  and  bis  highly  respectable  standing 
as  a  merchant,  forbad^  the  idea  of  any  insincerity,  or  want  ol 
aufiicient  intelligence  upon  the  subject. 

Still  Mrs.  Moreton  was  not  convinced,  in  spite  of  all  this  array 
of  imposing  testimony ;  and,  while  her  husband  gently  insinuat- 
ed that  she  was  very  obstinate  in  her  prejudices,  she  could  not 
wholly  rid  her  mind  of  apprehension,  or  be  brought  to  believe 
that  there  was  no  real  danger  incurred  in  sending  Julia  to  a 
Catholic  school. 

But  finding  that  it  was  useless  to  argue  the  matter  any  further 
with  Mr.  Moreton,  she  reluctantly  yielded  the  point ;  hoping  that 
she  might  be  able  to  fortify  Julia  s  mind  so  strongly  af^aiust  the 
wiles  and  sophistry  of  a  crafty  priesthood,  so  that  she  might  safe- 
ly pass  the  fiery  ordeal  which  sne  fully  believed  was  about  to  be 
placed  before  her  child ;  and  when,  in  the  following  spring,  the 
time  fixed  for  the  departure  of  Julia  with  her  father  for  the  oon« 
vent  school,  arrived ;  and  the  vehicle  which  bore  them  away,  re- 
ceded from  her  view,  she  returned  from  the  street  door  into  her 
sitting  room,  with  a  heavy  heart;  feeling  as  though  a  dark  cloud, 
surchfcrgel  with  evil,  bad  gathered  over  herself  and  family. 

On  bis  return,  after  having  placed  Julia  at  school,  his  wife  had 
a  tbousand  anxious  questions  to  be  answered ;  all  of  which  he 
answered  so  readily,  and  with  such  apparent  satisfaeftoH  to  him- 


f 


134 


Vyslaries  of  a  Gonreni 


Mil  ttuift  hn  liMurii  wvn  qoidted,  and  hope  gained  fhe  Moendaat. 
He  infonnad  her  that,  .on  theiir  arriTal  at  ue  oonrent,  after  a  f a- 
ticving  but  rather  pleaeant  joamey  of  lour  days,  the  Mother  Sa» 
perior,  whom  he  represented  as  a  lovely  French  woman,  in  tha 
prime  of  life,  and  of  most  elegant  manners,  received  him  with  tha 

greatest  kindness,  and  throwing  her  arms  around  Julia,  kissed 
er  afFeotionately,  welcoming  her  to  the  institution,  and  promis- 
ing to  be  a  mother  to  her,  while  she  continued  there ;  that  Julia 
had  found  one  or  two  old  acquaintances  among  the  pupils,  and 
seemed  to  be  satisfied ;  and  tbat^  on  his  expressing  a  wish  that 
his  daughter's  principles  should  m  vp  way  be  interfered  with,  sha 
assured  him,  in  the  most  frank  and  positive  manner,  that  he  need 
not  entertain  any  fears  on  that  subject,  as  they  had  no  desire  to 
nftke  proselytes  of  the  children  of  Protestant  parentsi 

**  In  shoit/'  added  Mr.  Moreton,  "  she  is  one  of  the  i|U>st  agree- 
able ladies  I  have  ever  met  with ;  and  X  feel  well  assured  that 
our  daughter  is  placed  in  good  hands." 

Five  months  passed  awav,  and  the  summer  vaoation  oama  on. 
14^.  Moreton  and  his  lady  had  attended  the  examination ;  and, 
although  Julia's  progpress  did  not  meet  their  expectation,  vettiiey 
supposed  that  this  might  be  attributed  to  the  novelty  of  the  posu 
tion  ia.  which  she  had  been  placed  -away  from  home,  among 
strangers,  for  the  first  time  in  her  life— and  they  indulged  the 
hope  that  sh^jwonld  dabetter,  the  next  session. 

On  calling  for  his  bill,  he  was  surprised  to  find  that  it  was  larger 
than  he  had  anticipated.  There  was  so  much  charged  as  an  <!ae- 
tra  item  for  this,  and  so  much  for  that ;  so  much  for  fuel,  and  for 
room  rent,  and  for  stationery,  and  for  medical  attendance,  al- 
though she  had  not  been  sick  an  hour  durin|[  the  entire  time ; 
and  so  much  for  store  goods,  &o. ;  amounting  m  all  to  some  thir- 
ty or  forty  per  cent,  more  than  he  had  expected.  Unwilling, 
however,  to  dispute  the  account ;  fascinated  as  he  was  by  the  ele- 
gant manners  of  the  Mother  Superior,  and  gratified  by  the  de- 
ference and  respect  which  were  shown  tb  himself  and  wife,  by  aJl 
the  inmates  of  the  family,  he  paid  the  bill,  without  a  word  of  com- 
plaint ;  resolving  in  his  own  mind,  that  for  the  future,  be  would 
take  CMure  tb  avoid  all  extras,  by  furnishing  every  thing  from 
home,  as  fur  as  practicable,  and  by  prohibiting  the  opening  of 
store  aeeeunte  for  his  daughter's  use.  Besides,  he  pnded  him- 
eelf,  as  a  business  man,  upon  bis  tact  and  foresight ;  and,  Mrs. 
Moreton  being  present,  when  the  settlement  was  made  with  the 
accountant,  though  she  was  engaged  in  conversation  with  the 
Mother  Superior,  he  was  very  unwilling  that  she  should  know 
that  be  had  been  outwitted ;  especially  when  so  much  had  been 
said  on  this  very  point,  prior  to  placing  Julia  in  the  institution. 

Julia  appeared  plsased  to  revisit  her  home ;  but  her  mother  wap 
pained  to  find  thaJt  she  did  not  manifest  as  great  an  attachment 
to  it,  as  before  leaving  it  for  school ;  and  that  she  more  than  once 
wished  for  the  time  to  come  when  her  father  was  to  take  hw 
back.  She  found,  too;  that  her  daughter  loved  to  talk  of  the  Mo- 
ther Superior,  and  of  sister  this,  and  sister  that,  fre<;[uently  extol- 
ling their  great  kinduAw  to  her,  their  piety,  and  their  happy  con- 
dition ;  seeming  to  tbink  that  the  life  of  a  nun  was  the  very  beau- 
ideal,  with  her,  of  human  happiness  on  earth.  When  Mrs.  More< 
ton  would  attempt  to  combat  this  notion,  she  found  Julia  disposed 
to  be  wayward,  and  to  resent  the  attempt  as  aQ  inpul^  by  impU- 


l^ysteiiai  of  a  GojiTeni 


186 


mUob,  off»rttd  to  tboM  whom  the  lo  highly  etteemod.  Knowing 
horimpulsiyanatore,  howvrer,  and  how  every  noreUy  that  ploMM 
her  was  wont  to  effect  her  mind,  the  thouffnt  this  a  mere  girliah 
effenreaoanoe  of  momentary  excitement,  and  that  after  a  while^ 
when  the  noTelty  had  worn  oft,  ihe  would  lee  thing*  in  n  truer 
light.  ^ 

At  length  oame  the  day  for  Julia'a  return  to  sehool ;  and  hev 
mother,  haTing  given  her  mueh  excellent  advice,  and  made  her 
promise  to  write,  either  to  herself  or  to  her  father,  once  a  fort* 
niffht,  bade  her  adieu.  Arrived  at  the  convent^  Mr*  Moreton  and 
Julia  were  received  with  similar  demonstrations  of  kindness  to 
those  which  had  marked  their  first  reception^  while  there  seemed 
to  be  more  of  familiar  cordialitv  in  the  attentions  fMdd  to  them; 
and  the  former,  having  given  the  necessary  instructions  as  to  lili 
daughter's  expenses,  left  her ;  congratulanng  himself  that  he  Jiad 
effectually  guarded  against  heavy  bills,  for  the  future. 

The  feoond  session  had  expired,  during  which  Julia's  letters 
had  been  received  reftularly,  in  keeping  with  her  promise ;  an4» 
there  being  no  vacation  between  that  and  the  ensuing  aessien, 
she  did  not  come  home,  her  father's  business  engagements  pus* 
venting  him  from  going  to  her;  but,  as  her  mother's  anxiety 
^bout  her  was  greatl  v  quieted  by  the  rei^ularitv  with  which  her 
letters  arrived,  and  the  imi>rovement  both  in  style  and  penman- 
ship which  they  indicated,  it  was  determined  that  she  should  m« 
main  for  the  third  term. 

But  after  Julia  had  been  thus  at  school,  fifteen  months,  and 
when  her  parents  were  congratulating  themselves  upon  the  so* 
lection  which  they  had  ma&  of  a  school  for  her^albeit  Mr. 
Moreton  had  ascertained,  beyond  all  q^uestion,  that  in  point  of 
economy  he  had  gained  nothing,  since  it  had  cost  him  somethiojg; 
more,  at  this  professedly  cheap  school,  for  the  education  of  his 
dvigfater,  thns  far,  than  it  would  have  cost  him  at  Froteitant 
schools,  which  had  been  denounced  as  being  so  unconscionably 
eitravagant  in  their  charges;  a  letter  was  received  from  Juli^ 
which  filled  their  minds  with  dismay  and  deep  anxiety  lor  the 
future.  It  was  writtoi  at  great  length,  evidently  with  studied 
care,  and  in  a  style  so  whofly  different  from  her  former  letbenL 
or  from  anything  that  might  have  been  reasonably  expected  of 
her.  as  to  convince  them  that  she  had  not  written  ft  benell^  but 
eopied  it  from  the  dictation  of  others. 

After  thanking  her  parents,  in  very  measured  terms,  forth^r 
care  and  affection  hitherto  manifested  towards  her,  and  particu- 
larly for  having  plaMd  her  at  the  convent  school,  where  she  bad 
enjoyed  so  rare  advantage,  and  spent  the  happiest  period  of  her 
existence— she  proceeded  to  state  that,  without  any  efforts  hav- 
ing been  made,  on  the  part  of  her  teachers,  to  bias  her  mind,  or 
to  change  her  relifrious  faith,  she  had  become  convinced  that  the 
Oatholio  was  the  oalj  true  faith ;  that  all  beside  was  heresy;  and 
that  she  felt  it  to  be  her  imperative  duty  to  join  the  OttthoUo 
church,  and,  at  the  proper  age,  to  become  a  nun ;  but  that  the 
respect— that  was  the  cold  word  which  she  addressed  to  her  kind 
and  affectionate  parents -^the  respect  which  she  entertained  fbr 
them,  constrained  her  to  ask  their  consent,  before  she  took  aoim- 
portent  a  step—adding,  that  she  hoped  they  would  not  withhold 
this,  since,  in  that  event,  she  must  obey  God  rather  than  man, 
•nd  should  pixMMedf  in  spite  of  their  ref  os^U 


186 


XysteiieB  of  a  GonTeni 


' ,  Kon«  hah  thoie  who  live  onlv  for  fhoir  ebildmi,  ftnd  fetl  HhaM 
iheM  wonttitute  the  ood  and  object  of  all  their  plans  and  pur- 
poMttCan  imagine  the  feeling!  whioh  rushed  tumultuonsly  into 
the  bosoms  of  the  father  and  mother,  as  they  perused  this  harrow- 
ing letter.  They  seemed  to  themselves  to  haye  been  sleeping,  in 
fancied  security,  on  the  very  brink  of  a  frightful  predpioe,  and 
to  have  suddenly  awakened  to  find  it  cnifnbling  nnder  them,  and 
ready  to  carry  them  with  it,  in  its  headloL^  plunge  into  the  yawn- 
ing abyss  beneath.  The  mother  sat  in  speechless  grief:  while 
the  scalding  tears  ran  down  her  cheeks.  The  father,  feeling  thai 
hii  own  peniurionsness  had  rendered  him  deaf  to  the  wamingfi  of 
his  wife,  when  her  fears  led  her,  in  the  outset,  to  depieoato  tha 
stn»  that  had  wrought  this  mischief,  was  self  •reproached  and 
■elf-eondeiiined;  yet,  reoollectinff  that  the  interposition  of  Ua 
anthoriif  might  and  could  arert  the  impending  eril.  did  not  giva 
way  to  bis  feelings,  but  stood  pale,  stem,  and  with  oontraebe^ 
brow,  thinking  what  course  he  had  best  pursae*  For  some  min- 
utes, neither  nttered  a  word. 

It  was  noon— and  the  untasted  meal  had  for  some  timettood 
nnnoticed  on  the  board :  no  member  of  that  unusually  so  hapwf 
ftomi!y  felt  any  inclination  to  partake  of  it.  There  thev  sat,  astt 
death,  or  worse  than  death,  had  snatched  away  one  beloTcd  of 
all.  At  length  the  mother,  with  a  strong  effort,  broke  the  pain- 
ful silence,  ami  said,  in  the  tones  of  one  nerved  by  urgent  !•• 
solution  to  «  aecisive  step. 

**  Mr.  Moreton.  we  must  go  to  Jllilia.  She  cannot  xedst  the  ap- 
{Mal  of  a  mothers  love.    We  will  save  her  yet." 

**  We  will  start  at  once,"  was  the  prompt  reply  of  the  deter- 
mined fktber;  and,  gfving  immediate  orders  that  the  carriage 
should  be  got  ready,  they  were  soon  on  their  way  to  rescue  thmv 
child  fom  the  imminent  ruin  which  threatened. 

Having  travelled  as  rapidly  as  possible,  they  arrived  at  tha 
oonvenL In  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  nom  home ;  and,  whilt 
tiie  mother  remainad  in  the  oarriaee  at  the  outside  gate,  in  ao« 
cordance  with  the  plan  which  haa  been  previoasly  adopted  f(nr 
their  government  Mr.  Moreton  hastened  up  the  long  avcinucL 
heavilv  shaded  with  lar^re  forest  trees,  through  Which  it  wound 
its  tortuous  way— fit  emblem  of  the  practices  of  those  who  dwelt 
within  that  darlc  and  gloomy  pile  of  imprisonment  and  shame; 
and,  knocking  at  the  hall>aoor,  demanded  to  see  the  Superior. 
The  sister  porter  invited  )^m  into  the  parlour,  where  presently 
he  was  joined  by  the  ladyiii^iiose  elej^ant  manners  had  so  fascin- 
ated his  judgment,  on  thur  fifst  interview,  but  whom  he  was  now 
disposed  to  regard  as  the  most  treachercfus  of  her  sex ;  since  she 
had  betrayed  the  sacred  trust-committed  to  her  hands  by  confid- 
ing patents,  for  he  could  not  doubt  that  this  woman  was  at  the 
bottom  of  his  daughter's  defection. 

She  met  blm  with  ouusual  affability,  and  an  appearance  of  the 
utmost  gratificfition  at  seeing  him ;  and  was  proceeding  to  make 
inquiry  as  to  the  health  of  Mrs.  Moreton  and  the  family,  when  he 
interrupted  her  by  saying, — 

**  I  wish  to  see  my  daughter,  madam." 

IRTith  a  most  winning  smile  upon  her  countenance^  the  SupiN, 
tibr  replied— 

"I  regret  Tezy  much  that  you  cannot  now  see  Julia,  sir;  sha 
has  been  somewhat  indisposed,  but  has  fallen  asleep:  and  ^ 
would  be  tojnrious  to  her  to  ftw»k4  her." 


^- 


MjritarleB  of  a  Oonfoii 


187 


Sfttbflad  thai  fhif  WM  A  in«ri  ran,  on  flM  pwtof  fli«  Sopnldr, 

togalntim«,  or  to  aoeompltoh  mid*  othe*  purpoM  of  borowa, 

'  tlie  iodigOMit  father,  throwing  off  tho  rMU«int  whioh,  until  this 

moment,  he  had  maintfiaed  «poa  himmlf^  ooriad,  in  tones  of  great 

oztfitemont; 

**Uy  daaghter,  Madam:Iwa&tm]rdanghter.  Where  Is  shaf 

*  Ton  oannot  see  your  daaghter,  sir,"  replied  the  Superior,  wtth 
oool  self-possession,  still  retaining  a  bland  smila  npon  b«r  oooa- 
tenanoe.  **  She  is  ill  in  bed,  and  oannot  be  seen." 
.  **  I  am  her  father,andmustseeher;''— and,  as  hofhwspdBi^ 
with  Increased  energy  of  manner,  he  took  a  step  iommui  u 
though  he  would  force  his  wav  to  the  apartment  of  Ua  dNaghtstf. 

The  Superior,  howerer,  antadpating  his  purpose,  instantly  rois^ 
and,  intisroepting  him,  stood  fall  in  his  way.  between  him  and  the 
doof .  Then,  drawing  herself  up  to  her  full  height,  while  she  as- 
sumed an  air  of  offended  dignity,— a  slight  flush  of  exdtement 
'  ig  upon  her  really  beautiful  oountownce,— answered  quiet* 


playiui 
vTbut 


,  utut  firmly— 

*  I  rule  here,  rir ;  and  I  say  to  ybu  that  you  cannot  see  your 
dalighter.    1  say  to  you,  further,  that  tht  does  no;,  wish  to  sea 

**  Does  not  wish  to  see  her  father  P  What  does  this  mean  f— 
inquired  Mr.  Moreton,  his  whole  manual  indio«.ting  the  greatest 
BonKtise  and  agitation  of  soul. 

*vBeoau8e  she  *  m  renounced  you,  together  with  all  the  Tula 
ties  of  this  sinful  world,  and  claims  the  protection  of  thissano* 
tuarr;"— haughtily  answered  the  Superior. 

"It  is  false!"— thundered  the  outraged  parent,  who,  now 
wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch  c  1  excitement,  was  about  to  push 
the  Superior  aside,  and  would  doubtless  have  committed  some  act 
of  violence,  but,  just  at  this  moment,  his  daughter,  who  had  by 
some  means  learned  ^e  arrival  of  her  father,  or  heard  his  voice 
in  altercation  with  the  Mother  Superior,  rushed  into  the  room, 
her  dress  greatly  disordered,  and,  passing  by  the  latter,  who  tried 
in  vain  to  arrest  her,  threw  herselz  into  liis  arms^  crying,  in  aov 
cents  which  thrilled  to  his  inmost  soul—**  Father,  save  Ine  I  0, 
lave  me!" 

Clasping  h(v  to  his  bosom  with  an  energy  that  mocked  all  in- 
terference, for  he  was  a  powerful  man,  the  father  cast  a  look  of 
proud  defiance  upon  the  no  longer  mild  and  placid  Superior— 
who,  with  the  countenance  of  a  demon,  and  the  eye  of  an  infuri- 
ated tigress,  that  had  just  had  snatched  from  her.  jaws  the  prey 
which  she  was  about  to  share  with  the  whelps,  advanced  as 
though  she  would  tear  Julia  from  the  grasp  of  her  natural  pro- 
tector;—an<i,  pushing  her  outstretched  arm  aside,  hastene<l  with 
the  almost  fainting  child  to  her  mother ;  who,  meanwhile,  too  re- 
mote to  see  or  to  hear  what  had  passed,  waited  in  great  anxiety 
the  return  of  her  husband  to  the  carriage. 

The  reader  can  imagine  how  pleasant  was  the  surprise  to  Mrs. 
Moreton,  and  what  must  have  been  the  revulsion  of  her  feelings, 
when  Julia,  throwing  herself  upon  hjr  bosom,  and  putting  her 
arms  around  her  necx,  cried,  in  a  voice  almost  choked  with  emo* 
tion—**  Forgive  me,  my  dearest  mother;  I  will  never  leave  you 
agidn."  ^ 

Driving  rapidly  away,  Mr.  Moreton  went  to  the  neighbouring 
Tlllago,  where  he  banded  to  a  friend  a  sum  of  monejr  nacessaiy 


"MpM/B  of  ft  CtofniU 

t»f»f  bli4*nglitor*tbiU«l  flM«oaTtDt,togta«rwllh  tm  n9m 
lortk«4fli«H7ofJbMrolottdBc;«iidtlMatiinM4bi0honii'  hmk 


OHAPTBB  ZY. 

JNOUtmmMn  ipt<WMaatartftilowi<toat<f  «m  Xothit 
Bor  lb*  Iittw  WM  wrote. 

I>DvmllMjoim«/lioiDewMd,Mid«ftorlh«7liad  iMdiMdIhali 
dMur  tpofci-^OTtr  wniob  bad  lo  noentlT  galhand  thiok  gloom  Mid 
doop  toRov.  bat  wbora  •anabino  ftnd  gludwmi  now  ni«t«^^ 
JuliiinUtedtobariMUDmUwbatbAdtnwcpiraddiuciiig  thetMM 
tbst  thm  bad  ipwit  at  tha  aoovant  aabool,  tba  noat  pcwBinaQl  fi 
wbieb  it  ban  iuaguoaarily  laid  bafora  tba  laadar. 
It  aaaaa  tbat,  on  bar  aniTal  at  tba  ooaTant»  wbaa  fint  btomAift 

i  f aToorita,  botb  wiftb^M 

ly,  bar  talant  at  rflfar* 

«««i  «m  Bw««»iw  wHiMwiMvj,  «Hu  uw  isvuwtoaiQaiii  ga^nad  tba  nh 

rt,  and  woi\  tba  affaotion,  ol  all,  from  tba  Motbar  Sanailof 
n  to  tba  lowast  manial.  Tba  formar  loon  flzadapoa&avai 
a  aoitabla  anbjact  ol  wbiob  to  maba  a  uaef  ol  and  valoaSla  ao^nd* 
•ition  to  tbf  order;  and,  witb  tba  qniok  paroaption  of  airtnam 
■kicd traiaad under  Jaauit influence, raaduy diaooTarad  tba] 


bar  neaTpuipota,  tbat  Julia  only  beoama  awar^  id  it  at  tba  rm 
laat  nomant,  ai  it  ware,  and  ttien  only  tbroqgb  tba  iuitruoiaoC* 
alify  of  ona  wbo  bad  prarioudy  fallen  a  ^otim  to  tba  aama  aitt-  - 
fioe^  and  wbo  pariabad  in  tba  lame  ooili. 

Duriac  tba  firat  aaaaion  of  tbe  aobool,  tba  Mofihar  SfiHvIor  (HA 
aattiag  mora  than  gain  tba  affeotiona  of  tba  yonng  girl;  ww 
>aovi^  that  thii  must  be  a  firat  itep,  and  that  intbtheaa  bar  oon- 
fidenoa  would  be  aequired  aa  a  necessarr  oonieauanoa.  Inordwr 
to  do  this,  she  treated  her  witb  diitinguiihed  undneia;  aUpwwg 
bar  many  priTilegaa  which  were  not  granted  to  otber8;andap- 
eanrafing  bar  frequent  yiaita,  in  tba  aTeninga,  to  bar  priTala  jfV" 
lowr^'HATa  when  tbe  Fatbar  Qeneral  came  to  aae  bar— whava  rat 
waa  awa  to  find  •Qmething  nice  to  eat,  and  aometbing  tbat  would 
intaraet  bar  mind ;  bar  taate  in  both  r^^tt  being  oaref  (illy  aoa- 
Bulted.  8ba  placed  in  the  hands  of  Julia,  rare  and  beautiful  pip- 
tuiea,  lapiMWtingtha  miraolea  and  prominent  incidents  in  ttia 
Uvea  of  tna  Saints  of  the  Ohurob  and  would  have  ber  to  read  aloud 
interaattng  passages  from  their  history.  She  would  also  apeak  to 
JuUa  of  tuMO ;  while  tba  sUvery  notes  of  her  Toice  would  fi^  like 
sweet  music  upon  the  ear.  and  the  girl's  entbosiastio  aouji  would  - 
be  anrapt  by  tba  magic  of  ber  discnptiTe  and  narratiya  powers. 
AU  day  Icong,  Julia's  studies  were  enlivened,  and  ber  tasks  mada 
liriiter.  by  tba  anticipation  of  spending  an  cTening  in  tba  Supeii- 
orm  privata  apavtmenti  wbare  ayery  tmng  was  so  aaug  and  so  o6ip«> . 

But  all  tbia  time  not  a  word  waa  aaid  about  tbe  peculiar  dog^ 
maa  ai  tba  Bomiab  religion,  aaya  in  tba  most  Tiavelea^  and,  m  tt 
wsfa^  aaoictoDtal  mtnnar;  not*  diir«ip(Mt|Ail  aUnrfaii  to  tb»  ?:r9t^ 


•^^^^^^^B^^w  w»  ^  ^p^^vvvvm*^ 


w 


i 


UttlkhUlkwu  MMo«Mii  «l  an,  it  w«*  wifhtb*  vtmoit  impifsal 
liiiisMt«lfMUBff,wi4<fiUtiMgnfttMtihMr  of  MtuSTmtlM 
for  titOM  who  boM  it.  }?«i(bor  ww  JuUft  nquind  to  oomply,  «| 
■aj  timo,  with  Bomiali  f craui  md  Qr^  9Mi  larthor  th«iiwMg«o* 
•lulj  oapootodirom  all  Fiotoitant  a»Mpils;  bat,  if  •  pMoUarif  inn 
tMMting  or  imposliig  lorfioo  wm  to  bo  imfonnod,  nor  wtiodtf 
to  witooM  it  WM  avootad,  boforohMid,  dt  slow  and  nadoalap" 
pica^aa  whioh  wholly  oi  ooaalad  from  tisw  tha  raal  oojaot;  and* 
altar  it  waa  ov^Ti  it  would  be  intioduoad  in  tha  mot t  jMtnra)  inan- 
aar  imanioabla,  aa  •  to|^  of  oonvarMtion,  aod  io  aa  to  land  an 
■idaat  and  imaginatiTo  mind  to  ioqnira  iato  ita  pnrport 

That,  without  i^paaringto  taaktt|fr9auant  opiiortunltf  Wii 
afforded  for  tha  fiplanation  of  Oathoiio  nogmaa,  and  their  im» 
planatinn  in  Julia'a  tender  mind,  before  abe  waa  arare  of  it  No 
wonder,  then,  if  with  auch  a  nature  aa  liere,  impulfi?e,,oonfidin& 
and  enthnaiaitio ;  fond  of  novelty,  and  delighting  in  exoitenieni; 
with  10  maeh  around  her  to  fumiah  aliment  for  her  mental  app«> 
tiffM ;  and,  added  to  all  thia,  the  preeenoe  of  a  maatar  apirit— wm 
aurongwilled,  unaompuloua— which  knew  well  how  to  oootrol  aad 
adjuit  thia  oompUeated  maohinery  for  the  produotioa  of  tha 
lameat  reiulte  in  the  aooompliahment  of  ita  own  oooult  purpoaaa; 
Jttfia  ahould  have  been  ao  fully,  yet  unoonaotoudy,  trained  by  tha 
Mother  Superior,  in  the  short  spaoe  of  five  mootha,  aa  to  ha  madn 
to  think  and  feel  Jnat  aa  the  Utter  miirht  wUl  that  aba  ahould ; 
aud  to  be  ripe  for  the  doTelopment  of  her  plana,  on  Julia'a  return 
from  heme,  at  the  dose  of  the  summer  vaaation.  Ko  wonder,  too» 
ttittk,  wider  the  eiroumstaooea  of  false  oolouring  whioh  had  be<Ma 
thrown  around  her,  she  should  regard  the  life  of  a  nun  aa  htistg 
tha  fullaat  embodiment  of  human  f elioity ;  aa  all  aunahine,  witii* 
ottt  an  obecuring  olond,  or  fitting  rack,  to  dim  for  an  inatanoa  ita 
litiaihtoaaa*  . 

^  On  bar  satum  from  home,  however,  after  the  yaoatlont  therioh 
poUtieiM,  Into  wfaoae  hands  the  unwary  girl  had  ao  nnfortuoataly 
fallen,  began  to  narrow  the  oirde  of  her  toila,  and  to  bring  tham 
to  bear  mora  directly  upon  l^e  focal  point  of  her  scheminga,  1%a 
first  object  to  be  aeooaa^lished  waa  to  deatror  bw  eonfidence  to 
her  own  religiona  fwith ;  and  although  this  had,  to  »  certain  aistaK^ 
been  oavertly  but  auecessf uUy,  dona^  yet  the  completion  af  Hm 
work  was  to  be  cautiously  effected,  or  (P[^t  mischin  to  tha  |dana 
of  the  Snperior  miffht  be  the  result.  The  sodal  eyenings  apent 
in  her  room  afforded  suitable  opportunities  for  this ;  and,  ai  it 
waa  mora  thMi  likely  that  Julia  would  not  return  home  befoffo  tha 
opiratian  of  ten  months,  time  was  not  wanting.  Besides,  how 
really  easy  the  task  with  a  young  girl  who  had  been  soimpeiiaot- 
ly  instructed,  as  she  necessarily  was,  in  the  principles  of  her  faith. 
Before  tiie  third  month  had  elapsed,  the  eudwas  gained  :--Frote8- 
tantism  was  rejected,  and  it  became  a  lights  affair  to  substitute  Ro- 
manism in  its  stead.  Ou  the  day  before  the  session  closed,  Julia 
waa  bap^xed  in  the  chapel,  and  became  a  member  of  the  Bom«n 
OatiioliiB  cliurob.  *" 

All  thia  time,  there  had  been  no  compulsion.  Led  in  ailkfoi  f et- 
ters,  Julia  neyer  for  a  moment  supposed  that  aha  waa  captiToto 
the  iron  will  of  another,  but  seemed  to  herself  to  have  taken  itep 
by  atep,  wholly  of  her  own  accord;  until  not  onlv  waa  effected 
what  we  haTa  aaen,  bat  she  had  been  made  to  baUerathat  it  waa 
xifl^nndsfopartooonoaalfromharpazenta  what  had  ooounnd* 


i4a 


l^yBtBilet  of  ft  OosTBnb 


Kaj,  flMVib  Uuit  It  WM  right  and  proper  to  doeolt*  thtm  mIo  Iht 
tmo  tUte  oihtr  fMlinn,  and  make  th«m  oonelado,  from  Mioioo* 
or  of  h«r  letters,  that  100  wu  ttill  a  Arm  adharent  to  Um  faith  of 
bar  anoantm ;  **  the  eod'-yonr  deTotton  to  the  Mrrioa  of  Ckd  and 


tho  YirRin,"  aaid  thalfother  Sap«rior-*«  wUl  lanotify  tha  1 
»tha  dtoaption  of  her  host  friendt,  her  parente. 

Kow  thM  ahe  «ra«  a  member  of  the  OathoUo  ohmreh,  iha 
more  than  ever  in  the  power  of  the  Superior,  and  iubjeot  to  hat 
control ;  while  the  latter,  in  her  torn,  found  inoreaied  means  ol 
exerdeMit  that  power,  in  the  impodnff  oeremoniee,  the  mjitio^m* 
bole,  the  thrilling  muiio,  the  demonuiaing  confemional,  and  tbi 
oonitant  appeali  made  to  the  Innate  iapentition  of  poor  fallen 
human  nanue;  indeed,  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  ritual  of  thai 
ehnroh.  In  these,  Julia  found  exoitement  i  in  these,  thefefom^ 
she  took  an  enthusiastio  delight ;  and  whenerer,  on  the  reoeptloa 
of  a  letter  from  home,  or  from  any  other  oanse,  old  associatirai 
and  old  attaohmente  would  linger  about  the  hearthstone  of  ma* 
mory,  and  rekindle  Ito  embers,  tne  Mother  Superior,  from  whop 
i^e  oonoealed  nothing,  would  promptlv  but  adroitly  smother  theas. 
until  she  became  completely  weaned  from  all  that  were  once  most 
dear  to  her ;  and  her  great  anzietv  aow  was  not  to  be  recalled 
home,  from  the  scenes  and  pursuits  in  which  her  happiness  seem* 
ed  to  be  so  completely  inTolved. 

She  wai  Saow  in  a  fit  stete  of  mind  to*  be  influenced  to  take  fha 
remainiDB  steps,  and  to  be  mada  a  permanent  member  of  the  fa- 
mily in  which  she  resided ;  in  other  words,  to  become  a  nun.  At 
this  was  a  step,  howerer,  in  which  she  could  be  forcibly  contrail* 
ed  by  her  parents,  at  least  until  she  was  of  age ;  and  as  the  Mac 
ther  Supenor  had  now  sained  all  that  was  immediately  necessaiv 
to  Uie  uitiiDato  accomplishment  of  her  great  design ;  she  deteiw 
mined  to  awaitithe  close  of  the  ensuing  session,  whi<diwastobf 
her  last  before  anything  further  should  be  done  ;.and,  meanwhile^ 
to  do  all  in  her  power  to  confirm  and  esteblisU  Julia  in  her  new 
faith. 

Thus  things  progressed  until  within  a  few  weeks  of  the  tsv- 
mination  of  the  third  session,  when  the  Mother  Superior,  hafing 
prepared  a  letter  which  she  thought  would  answer  the  purpose^ 

£  laced  it  in  Julia's  hands  to  be  copied.  After  numerous  altera* 
ions  and  corrections,  which  suggested  themselves  from  time  to, 
time,  had  been  made,  this  letter  was  finally  sent  to  Mr.  Moreton. 
but,  by  some  unaccountable  detention  in  the  post  office,  did  not 
reach  him  as  soon  as  it  should  hare  done,  by  at  least  ten  days. 
This  delay  was  the  salyation  of  Julia,  as  wiU  be  shown  in  thafoU 
lowing  chapter. 


OHAFTEB  XVL 

Bister  Theresa,  her  aufferings  and  destb—Her  dying  wsming  to  Jalta->Its 
effect  upon  Julia— The  Mother  Superior's  rage  In  the  chamber  it  death 
—The  Father  Qeneral't  base  scheme  to  onrush  the  order-^Thc  Mother 
Snpetlor  in  a  dilemma. 

Iv  appears,  from  Julia's  recital  to  her  parents,  that,  wh  Jo  ram- 
bling over  the  oonvent  building,  one  day,  she  found,  lying  upon 
t  psSlet  of  straifi  with  ragged  and  insufficient  bed-doth^  S|ii«ii4 


faith  of 
OodMd 

■Im  wm 

,-  tohw 

mMDt  9i 

fitiosjato 
LandtiM 
>r  fftUM  , 

OftlMft 
IWVfoiiL 

-iptfcm 
ktiou 
piaofoM. 
n  whop 
wrthwB, 
noaouMl 
noaUad 


Mjvtflrltt  of  a  (^MToit 


HI 


taka  fha 
fthelh. 
an.  Am 
BontroU- 
thelio. 


a  detMW 
raatobf 
anwhila, 

lar  aaw 

thatar- 

»haTing 

parpoaa^ 

laltara- 

timato, 

[ontoa.' 

didnw 

1  daya. 

thalol. 


Ita-^fis 
>fdettli 
Mother 


rvpoa 


tftr  har.iiiaiaull  foom,  ia  a  mnota  and  vathar  oaoaeavladporb 
lion  of  tiia  Taak  pOa,  a  poor  nun,  whoaa  oonntananoa  J>ora  thi 
Ir&uea  of  ntat  baaaty,  but  who  was  fearf allr  waatad  bjrdiaaaaa 
■ad  ■aflhnng.  DiaooTaring,  on  oonTaraing  with  har^that  aha  waa 
.ftiaatly  naglactad  by  tha  mambaraof  tha  honsahold,  Julia  raqaaat- 

a  and  obtainad,  penniaaion,  from  tha  Mothar  Baparior.  to  viail 
nun,  which  waa  tha  mora  raadily  ((rantad  baoanaa  tha  lattw 
faally  knaw  nothinff  about  tha  toua  ooudition  of  on*  who  had  long 
baan  loat  aight  of  by  bar  aa  an  helplaaa  and  minad  Tiotim«  aava 
aa  bar  nama  waa  from  tima  to  tima  raportad  upon  tha  aiek  liat. 
Wtom  that  day  on  until  tha  poor  nun  diad,  Julia  apant  an  hour 
or  mora  br  her  bed-aide,  •rwtt  day,  and  oooaaionallV  a»t  up  with 
bar.  a  portion  of  the  nistht.    Her  kiodneaa  to  Siater  Theraaa— for 
that  waa  tha  name  of  thia  poor  nun,  whom  the  reader  will  reool- 
laet  aa  having  had  an  intenriew  with  the  Father  Oaneral,  in  tha 
oonvant  garden  at  midnight— aoon  won  her  grateful  affection ; 
aad,  aa  her  light  footatepa  would  be  heard  d.'uly  aaoaoding  tha 
itaira  on  her  errand  of  meroy,  Thereaa'a  oountenanoe  would  beam 
with  gladaeaa.     So'metimea,  when  Julia  would  be  aeated  by  her 
bad'Mda,  ahe  would  look  up  in  her  face,  with  a  amile  of  heartfelt 
gratitude,  and  would  preaa  her  hand  eameatly,  while  tha  big  team 
wonld  atart  to  her  aye,  and  triokle  down  her  oheek,  aa  ahe  whia- 
pared  a  prayer  to  tha  virgin,  for  bleaainga  on  her  benefaotreaa. 

On  the  morning  of  tha  very  day  upon  whioh  Mr.  Moraton  reaoh* 
ad  the  oonrent,  aa  related  in  the  cnapter  preceding  tha  laat,  Ju- 
lia paid  her  uaual  Tiait  to  her  patient,  aa  ahe  callea  her,  and  waa 
alarmed  to  ilnd  her  a  great  deal  worae  than  ahe  had  been  preTi< 
onaly.  Taking  her  by  the  hand,  Siater  Theraaa  aaid  to  her,  in 
tonea  of  deep  emotion,—'*  Dear  Julia,  I  am  dying :  I  feel  that  I 
aannot  Uto  much  longer;  and  beoauae  I  love  yon  for  your  I^reto 
na,  and  for  your  charity  to  a  poor  deaarted  nun,  I  wiah  to  give 
TOO  a  aolemn  charge,  aa  from  the  lipa  of  a  dving  woman ;  which 
ft  would  embitter  my  laat  momenta  to  withhold  from  ^on,  while 
it  ia  tli  "^  beat  return  I  can  make  for  your  exceeding  kindneaa  to 
BM.    Kerer  conaent  to  become  a  nun." 

Julia  atarted  back,  aa  though  aha  had  been  etnng  hj  an  adder, 
and  aeemed  to  doubt  if  ahe  had  heard  arixht,  or  aa  if  aha  thonght 
that  tha  poor  nun,  might  be  out  of  her  head. 

Siater  Thereaa  read  her  thcughta ;  and,  again  taking  her  hand, 
and  preaaing  it  eameatlv  {a  her  own,  repeated  the  charge  in  a 
atill  more  aolemn  and  inipreaaiye  manner  than  before.  Julia 
wonld  have  apoken,  but  the  nun  aaid  to  her  — "  liaten  to  me.  I 
had  thought  that  my  melancholy  atory  would  hare  died  with  ma ; 
■ad,  indeed,  I  know  not  that  I  ahall  hare  atrength  to  relate  it  to 
you ;  yet,  deeply  indebted  to  you  aa  I  am,  I  cannot  better  em- 
ploy my  remainmg  atrength  than  in  communicating  that  which 
may  aaye  you  from  a  fate  like  mine.  In  the  narrative  whioh  I 
am  about  to  give  you,  you  will  find  abundant  cauaa  for  the  charge 
which  haa  filled  your  mind  with  astoniahment." 

**Iam,"  contmued  Thereaa,  *'the  only  child  of  wealthy  pa- 
-«anta  in  tha  aonl^,  who  placed  me  here,  aome  yeara  aince.  aa  a 
mipil  in  the  convent  achool.  For  two  yeara  after  my  arrival,  tha 
Mothar  Supwior  laviahed  upon  me  acta  of  kindneaa  aimilarto 
timaa  which  ah^  I  Imow,  haa  exhibited  towarda  yonraelf  and 
.  oUiara^  and  with  tha  aame  motives.  By  degreea— for  I  have  not 
Iho  itcoQgth  to  lelata  to  you  all  of  tha  partioulara— aha  lad  ma  to 


ill 


^fStsriflB  of  ft  Oonfttti 


•tendon  my  own  PntMtont  filth,  and  to  tmbtMo  BonMaiMI<*ii 
nntil,  nt  tbo  ond  of  tho  Moond  jMur,  I  found  nyitlf  n  nofieOi  f oUf 
oonmittod  to  tnko  tho  towi  of  poTorty,  ohMtlfy,  and  ohodtonao  ■* 
and  •▼antoally  I  baoano  a  nnn ;  my  ]>ar«nti,  howoTar,  baing  hapl 
m  piofonnd  iffnoranoa  of  tha  wbofa  mattar,  until  tha  Anal  Mg» 
had  baan  inatriarably  takan.  My  mothar,  aa  I  bata  dnaa  laan* 
ad  aooidanUlly,  whan  Informad  of  it,  took  to  bar  bad,  and  navatf 
mA  it  until  oarriad  to  b*r  grava.  My  fatbar  baa  mora  than  onoa 
npnliad  at  tba  door  of  tba  oooTant,  for  parmiHion  to  aaa  ma,  hvt 
without  my  knowladga,  and  in  my  nama  bai  baan  rafuaad ;  ha* 
lag  told  that  I  did  not  wiih  to  aaa  bim ;  and,  wban  it  waa  too 
lafa,  I  hava  baan  told  of  bia  Tiiit,  lot  tba  pnrpoM  of  harrowinf 
ay  faalingt,  and  making  my  lulftfinga  tba  graatar.  I  know  noi 
whathar  ba  ia  yat  aliva  or  not."  Hara  Siatar  Tbaraia'a  taara  fau 
farruptad  bar  narratiTa;  and  iba  waa  compallad  to  pauia,  for  * 
faw  minutaa,  wbila  dia  gara  Tant  to  tham.  Than,  laaundnff  tftw 
•lory  '^f  bar  misfortnnaa,  aha  laid— 

"Attar  tha impodng  oaramony,  wbieh  attandingmf  adopllttg 
tha  raligioua  habit,  bad  baan  gona  through  with,  and  I  hadtint 
to  dt  down,  and  oalmly  railaS  upon,  what  I  had  dona.  X  found 
myialf  a  pray  to  tha  kaaneat  lalf-raproaohaa  for  my  four,  and  to 
irrapraasiDla  looainga  after  my  home  and  my  dear  fnanda.  X 
found,  too,  that  the  manner  of  tha  Mother  Superior  waa  wholly 
ahangad  tbwarde  me.  She  no  longer  invited  ma  to  berpritata 
parlour,  where  I  had  ppent  eo  many  happy  houra.  She  no  longer 
mat  ma  with  kind  woraa  and  loving  looka ;  but.  in  fba  plaoe  ol 
theae,  btid  aMumed  towarda  ma  an  aspeot  of  ooid  and  haughty 
aontrol.  and  kept  me  at -a  moat  eruel  distanoa.  I  waa  aubjaotea 
to  menial  ol&cea,  to  heavy  taaka,  au«^  to  laTere  penanoea,  whioH 
*<ariota»lT  affeoted  my  health.  I  bad  ^o  arounmenta,  noialaza* 
viona— I  waa  out  off  from  all  (how  aasooiationi  and  andearmenta 
after  whioh  my  beai-tyaaroed,  and  for  the  enjoyment  of  which  I 
ialt  myself  qualified  by  tha  poeaeailon  6f  a  warm  and  ganerowi 
nature.  In  abort,  I  waa  buried  aUve.  In  rain  I  aongbt  for  aoma 
one  into  whoaa  bosom  I  oould  pour  the  tale  of  my  iorrowa,  area 
among  those  arornd  me  who  i^re  as  nnhappr  as  I ;  for  so  oom« 
pletely  were  they  under  the  tyrannioal  ooutrol  of  the  Mother  Su« 
parlor,  that,  when  onoe  or  twice  I  sought  consolation  from  ttils 
aouroa,  my  oonfidanca  waa  betrayed,  and  aerere  pnniriimant  waa 
tha  aonseqoenoe.  My  Father  Oonf  essor  made  dishonourable  pro- 
posala  to  me,  and  I  spurned  bim  from  me ;  but  the  tempter  cama 
m  the  garb  of  an  angel  of  l^bt,  holding  the  olire  hraniA  of 
frfandsbip  in  bia  hancL  and  witti  the  sweet  words  oi  ^ympaihy 
upon  bia  oily  tongue— I  ombU  aot  resist  him— and  fell.  O  &<Mm« 
Ue  fall !  how  fearfully  Bwifcud !  The  tempter  waa  the  lorer  tiS 
tha  Mother  Superior;  no  fowod  it  out,  and,  not  daring  topuniehs 
him,  although  it  led  to  a  aarriflo  scsne  between  them,  whioh  had 
like  to  hare  resulted  in  Yary  serious  ooosequences  to  both,  iMrt 
waa  at  lengtii  eompomised.  and  a  reooDoiliation  took  plaoe ;  her 
Jealousy  and  wrath  found  iftiii  mark  in  me ;  and  my  witimely 
and  pai^il  death  is  the  xt^mit.  But  what  wonder  thait  I  feU  be- 
neath the  insidious  apfNToai  «s  of  tLe  wily  Father  General,  who 
knew  all  the  loneliness  of  a  poor  nun's  life,  the  reamlnga<of  her 
heart  after  kindjess,  and  the  snffenaga  and  bitter  diaappoinl- 
mentawhiohl  b«d  pterionslr  endured.  What  wonder  wad-i 
■hoaldfintfaai^'afttltoiuinwhoq?elc«toma  theoafywm^ 


IfpMm  of  aOonTni 


m 


ndawtc 

httlOOM 

■  ait,b«t 
nd;  b«« 

WMtoo 
inowiof  . 
inowttci 
teuraia* 
iM,lor« 
mutglkM 

:^ 

Ifoond 
Ft  and  to 
anda.    X 

■  whoO^ 
rpritAto 
wUmget 
plaoeol 

(^ 

■.whioH 

urmenit 
whiohl 
wierouji 
oraoiwi 

■OOOBU 

herStt- 
omtblt 
»ot  waa 
Uapio- 
»roaiBe 
uidkof 

res?" 

>Tar  off 
poaieli, 
ohlMd 

timelr 
hUW. 
i,Wllo 
■of  bar 
point. 
&a4I 


amj  aartiaa  to  tha  aatobiiahwaat  a  parlbd  of  thirtoaa  aiooth% 
daHas  moat  of  which  tioM  I  hava  baau  oonfload  to  mv  bad— I 
baaa  wholly  aaflaotad  by  both  tha  Suparior  aad  tha  auaa, 
aa  naoaarity  laqairad  thair  attantion  at  dialaot  iatarrala. 
■  tha  Vkthar  Ooafaaaor  baa  ^aitad'aa  but  oaoa,  and  than  at 
aay  own  bmmI  oargant  requaat:  nwtil  yon,  mj  daar  Julia,  aeaidant* 
anj  diaaovatad  aM»  aacT  baffaa  that  aariaa  of  kindnaaaaa  whiak 
kaa  Ut  wsf  tha  gloom  of  mj  aiak  room,  and  allafiatad  my  aaffa*« 
tea  to  aa  graat  an  aztaat.     Ood  Maaa  yan  for  it,  noUa-haactad 

It  had  aoat  tha  nan  a  graat  affort  to  maka  tfiit  raoUal  to  Julia  | 


f  Uad  nana  adminiatatad  aonm  aoidiala  whiah  aha  had  mmuht 
with  bar— Iha  parohaaa  of  bar  own  pookat-mooay— and,  anaa 
]|ying  auially  for  aoma  tima,  Siatar  Tharaaa,  turning  to  hat  with 
»  oonntananoa  upon  whidi  tha  laal  of  daath  waa  lagibly  impMW" 
ad.aaidtohar:— > 

''Majhaataa  raward yoa, daar  Julia, far  your  goodnaai;  I 
oaaiiot  In  any  othar  way  than  by  my  poor  thulra.  But  lat  ma 
tooat  aamaam  aotraat  yon  to  haad  tna  warning  whioh  I  hara 
gfraa  yoa,  in  thia  ralation  of  my  aad  lifa  ainoa  I  antarad  thia  pzi- 
aon.  O,^  yon  would  not  bring  aorrow  upon  your  raUttona ;  if 
vm  woald  Bol  hara  arary  kindly  allaotion,  arary  ganarona  amo* 
aon,  amy  laaatty  of  mind,  erusnad,  and  aaarad  and  witharad— 
if  yos  woald  not  lira  with  %  buraing  void  within  your  boaom— « 
ciiiTiag  ap^to  altar  frtianiihip.,  and  loTa,  aad  aooial  hi^imaa, 
wWob  M  doomad  nanp  to  baaatiafted;  if  yon  would  not  witnaat 
Mlaaa  whioh  ovidla  ilia  blood,  and  fraaaa  tha  Tary  aoul^if  9ou 
would  not  loath  yoaaadt  and  all  about  yon—if  you  wonld  not  ba 
tamatad.  aa  I  baaa  baaa,  alaM»t  daily,  to  oommit  aniaida,  aa  af- 
fording tha  only  aaaaaa  of  aaaapa  from  aosTantnal  pollution  aad 
ia^triaoaniant— H  you  would  not  dia.  at  tha  laat,  away  from  your 
£indradand  IriMda.  daaartad  by  au,aa  I  am— by  all  bat  yon, 
whom  God  aaaaaa  to  aava  aant  to  ma  aa  an  anaal  of  menrr,  topity 
bar  whom  hariaoa  aoataama— O I  if  yon  would  aaeapa  all  of  thoaa 
arils,  aya^iaa  tbouaaad  mora;  I  baaaaoh  you,  narar  oonaant to 
baooma — 

•*Tila  wretoh  !  what  maanathiar*  eriad,  or  Tather  tfhrialMd, 
fha  Motliar  Saparior,  who,  lor  tha  first  tima,  alarmad  at  Jnlk^ 
long  Tirit  to  tta  aiak  nai«,  had  erept  staalthily  up  atainu  and  aa* 
rivad  in  time  to  oveiliaar  tha  laat  saatanca  or  two  of  tha  ahaaga 
uHbieh  had  jnat  baan  ntt«rad,  or  rathar  ao  abruptly  iotarrnptad  if 
hu  azalamation.  Wban  Julia,  almost  beside  heraall  with  taaror, 
laakad  aroand  to  disooTor  the  aourca  from  which  tUa  intafma* 
ttonaama,  riM  beheld  tha  Superior,  standing  in  tha  doorway,  pale 
with  rag^hav  aye  flaahing  fire,  and  her  huid  upUfked  aatlMaab 
aha woSdnito tha paavtlaiaa, lying  halplaaaa*  tha 


m 


Mysteries  of  a  GonTOft. 


.  Bat  that  Tiotimwao  beyond  t&«  reach  of  her  malioe^she  WM 
lead ;  and  the  other,  whom  she  was  about  to  immolate  on  the  al- 
tar of  religiona  bigotry,  had  eaoapad  her  ooila.  The  loalea  had 
fallen  from  her  eyes;  the  deloaion  had  been  diaeipated,  as  the 
mondng  mist ;  she  seemed  to  have  awoke  from  some  dream  whioh 
had  fast  bonna  her  senses  in  illusion,  and  to  hare  become  sensi- 
ble of  the  Tcalities  which  surrounded  her,  threatening  her  de« 
•truction. 

The  Motlier  Superior  saw  it  all  at  a  glance— saw,  too,  that  her 
passion  had  betrayed  her,  and  had  serred  to  make  the  matter 
worse ;  but,  confident  in  her  own  abilities,  and  fondly  hoping  that 
die  could  yet  reooyer  the  ground  whioh  she  had  lost,  set  herself 
about  the  work,  with  iufluite  address.  It  was,  howerer,  too  late. ' 
Overcome  with  excess  of  emotioo,  Julia  sat  weepiog  as  if  her 
heart  would  break.  The  Superior,  putting  her  arm  around  her, 
and  geutly  bidding  her  arise,  left  the  death-chamber,  carefully 
locking  the  door  behind  them,  and  led  her  down  stairs  to  her  own 
bed-room,  where,  laying  her  upon  her  own  soft  couch,  she  told 
her  to  compose  herself,  and  try  to  sleep.  Then,  entering  the  ad- 
joining room,  whioh  we  have  said  was  fitted  np  as  an  oratonr, 
and  which  contained  an  escritoire  in  whioh  she  deposited  her  Vm- 
luable  pafNors,  she  took,  from  a  secret  drawer,  a  letter  receiyed 
that  morning,  and  whidx  she  perused  with  great  attention.  It 
lanthus; 

^  *  "  New  York,  Jvly  10, 1812. 

"  To  the  Mother  Superior  of  the  Oonvent  of  the  Annunciation* 
"Dbab  Madak, 

**  I  have  just  been  informed,  by  the  Father  Beanpres,  resident 
at  B&toD  Ifouge,  Louisiana,  that  the  father  of  Emilie  de  Yere, 
now  the  Sister  Theresa,  a  member  of  the  oonvent  under  your  spi- 
ritual government,  has  recently  died,  leaving  an  immense  estate, 
and  making  provision,  by  his  last  will  and  testament,  that  his 
only  daughter,  this  same  £iuilie,  shall  inherit  *  the  whole  proper- 
ty, if  she  will  renounce  the  Boman  Oatholio  faith,  and  leave  the 
convent  in  which  she  is ;'  and  that,  in  the  event  of  her  refusing 
to  do  so,  the  said  property  shall  go  tc  distant  relations,  in  France, 
the  daughter  having  nothing. 

**I  wish  you  to  converse  with  the  Sister  Theresa,  and  devise 
some  plan  by  means  of  whioh  this  inheritance  can  be  secured  to 
the  order.  I  shall  repair  to  the  convent  on  the  fifth  day  from  the 
date  of  this  letter. 

*'  I  remain  as  ever,  yours, 

«  FaANOois  Jttbbkt. 

"  Father  General,  ftc" 

The  Mother  Superior  felt  greatly  agitated,  as  she  perused  this 
document,  and  scarcely  knew  what  to  do.  Here  was  an  immense 
fortune  within  the  grasp  of  the  order ;  but  she  upon  Whose  life  it 
depended,  was  dead.  True,  no  one  knewlt  as  yet,  besides  her- 
self and  Julia  ;  but  she  had  reason  to  believe  that  Julia  had  hearC 
enough,  from  the  lips  of  the  dying  nun,  to  have  influenced  her 
mind  unfavourably  towards  the  order,  and,  perhaps,  to  have  un- 
done tiie  entire  work  of  the  last  fifteen  months.  O,  how  deeply 
•he  regretted  her  want  of  considera,tion,  in  permitting  Julia  to 
attend  upon  the  sick  nun ;  but  so  fully  had  she  succeeded,  as  she 
thought,  in  the  work  that  aha  had  planned  and  executed  aa  ra- 


lljBtflifas  of  a  CoiiTeni 


148 


iurdad  Am  fonuMr,  ud  muk  wm  fh*  ^mankal  diMd  la  rnhkh 
■M  litii  ifvoT  mMriwr  of  tiia  honnbolo,  that  ito  oo«ld  mI  lap- 
MM  it  poMiMe  that  the  latter  voold  kove  dand  to  tay  oot  wood 
10  Jalia  oboat  the  poit ;  ontil  her  opprehenrioo  hating  ^i**^  i*- 
died  hj  her  pnpil'e  long  abMooe,-^r  the  had  not  ooom  down  to 
the  dinneT'tablo,  a*  vaaol,— the  had  aeoended  to  the  liokehain- 
ber,  and  there  oTelheord  a  portion  of  what  paeeed,  as  has  alveadj 
Should  Jnlia,  when  she  went  out  atnona  the  boordsn^ 


Make  known-the  foot  of  the  nnn's  death,  it  wonJd  for  ever  do- 
■kroy  all  hope  *>!  seeorinff  the  inheritsooe ;  and  tma  if  die  eooid 
wefenttbis,  wfaiehwomdbe  a  Tery  dii&eult  alliir.  beoaoarol 
the  impressioa  that  it  might  moke  upon  her  own  mind,  stiU  the 
dead  body  was  in  the  houie,  and  must  be  diraosed  of  in  seme 
way,  without  the  knowledfce  of  any  member  of  the  honsshold. 
She  Int  her  Upe  in  Tcrr  intensity  of  thonRht ;  and  her  feelings 
wrought  up  to  a  high  pitch  of  ezdtemenit,  by  her  malign^ 


to  the  dead  nun,  who,  she  feared,  hod  aohieved,  althoagk  oneott- 
sdoosly,  a  wondeif  ol  retribution  upon  hersdf  and  upon  the  or- 
der, for  the  wrongs  which  she  had  endured  at  thdr  aaads;  Iqr 
onmhennon  that  Julia  was  lost  to  the  oonvent,  unless  some- 
raing  could  be  done  to  prevent  it ;  aad  by  anxiety  to  bring  order 
out  of  this  chaos,  and  Tiotory  out  of  this  apparent  defeat ;  when 
die  heard  a  gentle  rap  at  her  chombM  door.  Instantly  pasdng 
froon  the  oratory  into  her  bed-room,  where  Julia  still  li^  upon 
her  couch,  she  opened  the  door,  where  stood  a  servant  to  irform 
her  tiiat  a  gentleman  wished  to  see  her  in  l&e  parlotv.  Not  sup- 
pesioff,  for  a  moment,  that  it  might  be  Mr.  Moreton — whom  of 
ad  other  persons  she  least  wished  to  see  at  that  time, — she  has- 
tened to  the  room  where  he  awaited  her ;  neglecting,  as  she  left 
her  chamber,  to  close  the  door  behind  her.  Presently,  Julia, 
overhearing  the  altercation  between  her  father  and  the  Superior, 
«Dd  recognidng  the  voice  of  the  former,  flew  down  tiie  stairway, 
and  rushed  into  her  father's  arms,  as  has  before  been  related,  and 
thus  escaped  from  the  dangers  which  were  becoming  so  imsdnent 
wouad  her. 


OHAPTEB  Zm. 

fhe  Ifbther  Bnperior  outwitted— Cursing  imdpT^risff— Hasty  summons  to 
the  ^ther  General— Insulting  the  dead— Jesuitical  conduct. 

WxBir  Mr.  Moreton  bore  Julia  away  from  the  parlour  of  the  con- 
vent, the  Mother  Superior  stood  in  speechless  amaaement^  for  on 
kidont,  and  then,  hastening  to  the  front  door,  watched  his  rapid 
progress  along  tiie  avenue,  until  he  was  lost  to  her  dght,  when, 
like  one  who  had  been  apell-bouDd  under  the  iufluenee  of  the 
night-mare,  she  seemed  to  become  suddenly  aware  that  some- 
thing must  be  done,  or  Julia,  her  victim,  would  be  lost  to  her  for 
ever,  and  the  harvest  of  all  her  schemings  be  destroyed.  Just  at 
the  moment  when  it  was  ripe  for  the  sickle  of  the  reaper. 

Pulling  violently  the  hall-bell,  she  ordered  the  servant  who  an- 
swered the  summons,  to  call  two  male  servants  that  belonged  to 
the  eetablisfament,  and  were  at  work  in  the  garden ;  but  whether, 
during  the  interval  ttiat  elapsed  before  they  made  their  appetf^ 
sha  had  oonduded  that  any  further  steps  would  ba  impro- 

X 


Mjsleilds  of  ft  OonTiiitt 

dtnli  <m  har  p«rl|  At  fhat  tim«,  or  Imomim  iIm  thought  it  loo  lilo 
to  ottampt  to  hring  book  tho  f  ogitiYoi,  her  imrponi  w«o  ohoiuN 
w(k ;  for  when  tho  Mrrants  oame.  oho  ditmitsea  them,  an4,  wub 
a  dignifled,  though  eomewhat  qoickened  etep,  Moended  tho  groot 
hall  itaire  to  her  priTate  room. 

Here,  oariif ally  fMteoing  the  door,  she  threw  honelf  at  foil 
liogth  upon  a  loaoRe,  at  oue  side  of  the  room^  and.  pladng  her 
baud  upon  her  forehead,  as  though  she  were  in  pain,  while  her 
•ijos  were  almost  ready  to  start  from  their  sockets,  she  goTO  reat 
to  tho  most  Tiolent  outbursts  of  passion ;  bitterly  oursing  all  hO- 
xotics,  and  calling  down  the  direst  maledictions  upon  Mr.  More- 
ton  and  his  rescued  daughter.  And  then,  hta  thoughts  reourring 
to  the  scene  which  had  taken  place  in  the  room  of  we  dying  nun,^ 
■ho  arose  hastily  from  her  recumbent  position,  and  strode  to- 
wards tho  door,  as  if  she  were  about  to  execute  some  hurriedly- 
formed  purpose ;  but,  ere  she  had  placed  iier  hand  upon  the  faa- 
teniuff,  she  paused,  for  a  moment,  and,  retracing  her  steps,  oon* 
tinnea  to  walk  froqi  one  end  of  the  large  apartment  to  the  other, 
for  some  leogth  of  time ;  her  steps  at  first  rapid  and  excited,  but 
nadually  becoming  moire  measured ;  until,  at  length,  entering 
through  tho  secret  pannel  into  her  bed>chamber,  and  thence  into 
tho  oratory,  and  kneeling  down  before  the  crucifix,  she  remained 
for  some  time  with  her  head  bowed  in  prayer,  occasionally  hear- 
ing a  ooarulsive  sob,  indicativo  of  the  extent  to  which  her  led- 
ings  had  been  excited. 

Arising  presentW  from  her  kneeling  position,  with  tho  traoes 
of  tears  upon  her  cheeks,  she  approached  the  escritoire,  and,  draw- 
big  forth  the  necessary  materials,  wrote  a  note,  of  which  tho  fal- 
lowing is  a  oopy : 

t.;1 

"  Convent  t/AnnuneiaiiontJulif  12, 1812. 
**  To  the  Beverend  Father  General. 

M  Most  Bsvbbbmd  and  Dsab  Sib, 
**  Your  favour  of  the  10th  instant,  was  receiyed  by^mo  this 
morning.    Business  of  the  utmost  importuace  oonnected  with  its 
oontente,  requires  your  presence  here  without  delay.     Fleaao 
lose  no  time  in  coming. 

"  Yours,  most  respectfully  and  truly, 

"FaiNOon. 
"  Mother  Superior,  fte."     ' 

Having  folded  and  sealed  this  note,  she  returned  to  her  cham- 
ber, and  pulled  hastily  the  bell-cord  which  hung  near  her  bed. 
On  a  nun  appearing,  m  answer  to  the  summons,  she  placed  tho 
note  in  her  bands,  and  bade  her  give  it  to  the  Porter,  with  orders 
to  take  it  instantlv  to  New  York,  and,  riding  day  and  night,  de- 
liver it  to  the  Father  General.  Then,  re>entering  the  oratory,  to 
see  if  all  were  there  in  a  position  to  be  left,  she  fastened  her  es- 
oritoire,  and  went  up  stairs  to  the  death  room. 

How  silent  was  all  there  I  The  cold  and  pallid  remains  of  tho 
SistflV  Theresa  lay  upon  the  pallet,  just  as  when  the  Mother  Su- 
perior had  left  tho  room  with  Julia,  after  having  precipitated  the 
death  of  the  poor  nun.  bv  her  sudden  appearance  and  harsh  ox* 
oUmation,  but  a  short  while  before.  .  Although  fearfully  emaoi- 
atod  and  wasted  with  disease,  the  death-like  features  stul  show- 
•d  traoos  of  former  lovtiiness;  and  there  lat  upon  tho  marble 


^ 


l^ysteiies  of  a  Omtaai 


147 


aii4,wub 
thttgntt 

Blfat  f^ 

while  h«r 
gaTeTanft 
ng  all  hck 
llr.  Moie- 
ireourring 
lyinff  nun,' 
itrode  to- 
liurriedly- 
tn  the  fat- 
iteps,  oon* 
tha  other, 
[oited,  but 
I  entering 
bence  into 
remained 
My  heaT- 
berfeel- 

the  traces 
md,  draw- 
3hthe£ol> 


1812. 


Tyme  this 
d  with  its 
Fleaae 


i. 

&c"     '■■ 

ler  cham- 
ber bed. 
>laced  the 
ith  orders 
night,  de- 
tratory,  to 
ad  her  es« 

ins  of  the 
other  Sa- 
itated  the 
harsh  ex* 
ly  emad- 
tulsbow- 
lemacble 


•omileiMiMt  ftsmUe^  as  fhonffh,  just  at  the  moment  of  depaiten, 
tt»  penitent  had  caught  a  nnght  Tidon  of  llerqr  stooping  fcom 
HeaTsn  to  pity  and  to  saTC. 

The  Mother  Superior  stood  for  a  few  moments,  looking  upon 
*i»  face  of  the  dead,  and,  catching  at  length  the  e^yresdon  of 
tbat  smile,  ground  her  teeth  with  very  rage.  • 

**^  What,"  said  she,  as  though  speaking  to  the  lifeless  botfy^— 
**  smiling  art  thou  f  Smilinw  at  me,  as  though  thou  hadst  fiined 
•  TiotorV  oTer  me?  Dost  thou  mock  me,  now  thou  art  dtad,  as 
tiiou  didst  thwart  me  while  living  P  Would  thou  were  capable 
of  feeling,  that  I  might  punish  thee,  vile  remains  of  a  most  worth- 
less being.  But  know,  Emilie  de  Yere,  whether  th^  polluted 
Sirit  hovers  still  in  this  room,  or  is  suffering  purgatorial  pain  in 
e  regions  of  woe ;  know  that  Louise  St.  Aubyi"  I^m  never  been 
defeated  yet.  She  has  been  cruelly  deceived ;  but  she  has  had 
her  revenge.  Aye,  and  she  will  yet  be  still  more  fully  avenged 
upon  the  vile  j^aramour  that  wrought  thy  fall :— the  only  virtu- 
ous act  of  all  bis  life.  Know,  too,  that,  though  Ij^ou  didst  turn 
traitor,  and  reveal  to  Julia  that  which  has  poisoned  her  mind 
against  my  order,  I  will  be  revenged  there.  Poor  fool !  she 
thinks  that,  because  she  is  in  her  father's  house,  she  is  beyond 
my  power.  But,  by  the  Holy '  Virgin,  and  by  all  the  Saints  in 
Heaven,  I  swear  to  move  the  skies  above,  and  earth  and  hell  be- 
ta^&U'  ^'  T-ork  her  ruin.  She  shall  not  escape  me.  Julia  shall 
yet  L       .    lie,  pollnted^worthless  thing  thou  art  and  has  been." 

Tb  ""  siting  the  lifeless  day,  and  venting  her  rage  upon  its 
unbeeding  ears,  the  Mother  Superior  stood  for  some  minutes,  un- 
til the  approaching  shades  of  evening  reminded  her  that  she  had 
but  little  time  left  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  purpose  whicb 
had  brought  her  to  that  death  chamber ;  which  was,  to  gather  to-^ 
gether  whatever  papers  she  might  perchance  find  in  the  trunk  of 
tile  deceased,  that  could  possibly  be  made  to  subserve  the  inter- 
ests of  the  order,  in  procuring  possession  of  the  coveted  iuberi- 
tance.  Finding  nothing,  however,  she  closed  the  door,  carefully 
locking  it  and,  leaving  the  dead  neglected  as  the  living  had  been, 
dMcended  to  her  room. 

Let  not  the  reader  imagine,  for  a  moment,  that  the  character  of 
the  Mother  Superior  has  been  too  darkly  drawn.  It  is  the  char- 
acter of  one  who,  under  the  iufluence  of  a  dark  and  gloomy  form 
of  superstition,  and  under  the  training  of  a  mastermind,  was  fully 
prepared  for  the  indulgence  of  every  evil  motion,  the  perpetration 
of  every  crime ;  while  the  black  heart  within  was  covered  over 
with  a  self-control  which  was  imperturbable,  when  circumstances 
required  its  exercise ;  and  an  hypocrisy,  refined,  elegant,  and  ex- 
quisite. In  short,  the  Mother  Superior  was  a  Jesuit,  and  a  fair 
^pe  of  her  order.  None  but  a  Jesuit  could  have  gone  from  that 
death  scene,  and  from  the  agitating  deliberations  of  the  oratory, 
into  the  presence  of  a  man  whose  anger  she  had  lust  reasons  to 
dread,  and  yet  preserve  a  cool  self-possession,  and  a  control  over 
her  temper,  which  would  indicate  a  life  free  from  all  disquiet  and 
given  up  to  religious  devotion,  but  most  strikingly  in  contrast 
with  the  emotions  which  were  at  that  moment  agitating  her  bosom* 
None  but  a  Jesui^  could  have  risen  from  prayer,  and,  in  a  few 
minutes  after,  staid  by  the  dead  body  of  one  who  had  fallen  a 
victim  to  her  jealou-tjr  and  wrath,  and  deliberately  mock  and  curse 
that  helpless  mas<  oi  inanimate  ok^.  She  was  a  Jesoit ;  and,  whan 


148  MpMm  fii  ^  (kmmt 

this  ia  Mill  ir«  OMMo  to  woBctor  ftt  witat  woold  otiMfwUM  bt  iBMC- 


I  OBAFTEB  XYHL 

SlMSaiUr  Ckneral  obeys  tlMsnmraons  in  haste— Meeting  betwatn  him 
•nd  t'  Mother  Superior— A  viie  plot  coiiduoted  between  them— The 
Mot^  .  Superior  in  a  new  ohanoter— The  Esther  Oeneri  turned  graven 
digger— ReToltiBg  numner  of  burying  the  dead. 


BB'MMDffer  who  had  been  despatched  with  the  note  to  lh& 
tityj  with  orders  to  ride  day  and  niKht,had  complied  strictly  with^ 
his  instruetiona,  and  arrived  at  the  residence  of  the  Father  Ooa- 
eral,  by  daylight  the  next  momiug ;  and  the  missive  which  hft 
bore  was  handeid  to  the  latter,  before  he  had  yet  risen  from  his 
bed.  Having  read  its  urgent  contents,  he  immediately  ordered  a 
horse  for  himself,  and  r.  fresh  one  for  the  messenger,  and.  as  soon 
as  he  had  eaten  an  early  breakfast,  started  for  the  convent ;  -where 
by  din»  of  riding  very  constantly,  and  as  fast  as  his  animal,  which 
was  a  very  Heet  one,  conld  safely  be  pushed,  he  arrived  at  five 
o^clooic  on  the  afternoon  of  the  day  after  the  nun's  death. 

The  mother  Superior  met  him  at  the  front  door,  as  he  dismount- 
ed from  h^  Jaded  horse,  and  conducted  him  at  once  into  the  ora- 
totjj,  where,  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  she  made  him  ae« 

Suaiated  with  the  present  position  of  things,  both  as  regarded  the 
ecease  of  tiie  Sister  Theresa,  and  the  escape  of  Julia,  and  a^ed 
hb  advice. 

The  Father  General  saw,  at  once,  the  difficulties  which  were 
involved  in  the  affair ;  .but,  with  tne  readiness  of  invention  fOr 
which  the  Jesuit  is  so  remarkable,  and  f  6r  which  he  in  particular 
was  so  distinguished,  proposed  that  the  ^eeA  bodv  should  be 
buried,  that  ni^ht,  quietly,  without  the  knowledge  of  aujjr  mem- 
ber of  the  family ;  and,  iu  order  to  this,  the  Mother  Superior  and 
himself  must  perform  the  duty,  lliis  being  accomplished.it 
would  be  their  next  business  to  substitute  some  one  for  the  de- 
ceased, who  might  bear  some  resemblance  to  her ;  to  procure  wit- 
nesses from  without  the  establishment,  to  sware  that  she  was  the 
true  Emilie  de  Yere.  This  could  be  more  easily  done,  as  the  proof 
would  have  to  be  made  in  Louisiana,  and  not  in  New  York.  The 
members  of  the  convent  knew  nothing  of  the  death  of  Sister  The- 
resa, and  could  be  kept  ?,n  entire  ignorance  of  it,  by  raising  a  re- 
nort,  iu  the  establtshmeut,  that  she  had  fled,  which  would  account 
for  her  absence ;  though,  indeed,  such  was  the  neglect  with  whidi 
the  poor  nun  had  been  treated  iu  the  last  few  weeks  of  her  illness, 
especially  as  it  was  genernlly  kuowu  by  those  who  had  Previous- 
ly atteudfed  to  her  at  all,  that  Julia  had  undertaken  to  be  her 
nurse,  that  not  a  single  member  of  the  household  knew  anything 
about  her  real  condition,  during  that  time.  As  for  Julia,  she 
wonld  in  all  probability  never  hear  of  the  matter  of  the  inherit- 
ance ;  and.  if  necessary,  she  could  be  watched.  Should  she  or 
any  of  her  friends  make  any  attempt  to  interfere  in  the  affair,  she 
must  be  kept  out  of  the  way,  and  silenced,  at  all  hasards,  and  by 
whatever  means. 

This  outline  of  a  plan  of  operatious  was  freely  disoussed  bj  ^* 
two  ooonseUon^  ana  at  length  adopted,  as  the  veiy  best  luider 


btiBiOB- 


vamUm 
lem— Tht 


tly  with' 

ler  Oea- 

rhioh  hft 

from  his 

rderadft 

as  soon 

]  when 

I,  whioh 

at  fiT6 

■ 

imoQBt- 
bheon- 
himatt- 
-dedthe 
daaked 

}h  wen 

tionfbr 

rtieokur 

ottldbtt 

^mem- 

ior  and 

Bhed.it 

theae* 

ire  wit-    . 

ras  the 

e  proof 

Ic.  The 

)rThe- 

gate* 

Boonnt 

whioh 

illnesi^ 

▼ious- 

beher 

'thing 

ia,  she 

iberit- 

sheor 

1',  she 

ndhf 

>j1iie 
under 


HjfBt^rliB  of  ft  OQHYsnii 


140 


the«ire«nrataiMeti  Hm  Matter  Bapetior  then  ofderadi 
per  lor  the  Father  Osaeful  to  be-  placed  ia  the  private  parloti ;, 
and,  leanng  him  to.  finish  this,  she  went  up  alone  to  the  death 
chamber,  to  prepare  the  bodj  for  burial ;  while  he  would  repair 
to  the  gardtm,  to  see  what  could  be  done  there  towards  preponag 
a  ffrave. 

Taking  with  her  a  needle  and  some  thread,  she  entered  the  room 
where  the  body  lay,  and  was  surprised  to  flud  it  much  iu  the  same 
state  in  whioh  she  had  left  it  on  the  previous  afternoon,  and  that 
there  was  a  very  riight  indication  of  decay  perceptible.  The  same 
smile  sat  upon  the  countenance,  and  produced  the  same  state  of 
angry  feehng  in  her  miod,  but  she  was  in  no  mood  to  tarry  in 
that  remote  and  lonely  part  of  the  convent,  without  any  other 
company  than  that  of  the  deceased  nun.  she  hurriedly  and  rudely 
sewed  up  the  body  in  the  sheet  upon  which  it  was ;  and,  leaving 
it  thus  without  any  other  preparation,  retamedtothe  room  in 
which  she  had  left  the  Father  General. 

The  lattier  had  in  the  meanwhile,  selected  for  the  graye  a  sunk* 
en  spot  in  the  extreme  distant  corner  of  the  garden,  which  was 
depressed  some  two  feet  in  the  earth,  and  which,  indeed,  had 
much  the  appearance  of  an  old  grave.  This  spot  he  had  noticed 
before,  in  walking  through  the  garden ;  and  it  had  instantly  oo- 
ourred  to  him  that  it  would  serve  the  purpose,  with  very  little 
preparation.  There  was  an  abundance  of  quick  lime  always  kepi 
about  the  establishment ;  and,  by  digging  the  grave  a  foot  decn- 
er,  puttiug  on  the  body  plenty  of  this  lime,  and  filling  up  tha 
oijeuing  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  surface,  covering  the  whole 
with  rubbish,  it  would  never  be  discovered ;  especially  as  it  was 
situated  where  nothing  was  cultivated,  that  season.  Had  there 
not  been  sufficient  reasons  why  no  member  of  the  family  should 
have  any  knowledge  of  what  was  transpiring,  lest  it  should  coma 
to  the  ears  of  some  of  the  many  boarding  pupils  then  in  the  ea* 
tablishment,  the  bodv  might  have  been  disposed  uf  in.adeq;) 
vault  under  a  wing  of  the  building,  which  was  constructed  there 
for  the  purpose  of  receiving  such  remains  as  they  did  not  wish 
to  bury,  or  to  attach  much  notice  to ;  where  these  were  speedily 
destroyed  by  meaus  of  quick  lime.  But,  as  this  was  only  acces- 
sible by  going  through  a  portion  of  the  establishment  where  th^y 
could  hardly  hope  to  avoid  notice,  the  spot  in  the  garden  was  in- 
ferred. 

Sometime  after  the  convent  dock  told  the  hour  of  ten,  an  hour 
at  whioh  by  the  rules  of  the  house,  every  inmate  of  the  familv 
must  be  ia  bed,  the  Father  General  proceeded  to  the  garden,  and, 
furnishing  himself  with  the  necessary  tools,  from  a  small  building 
in  which  they  were  kept,  had  succeeded,  iu  the  course  of  a  couple 
of  hours,  in  making  ready  the  receptacle  for  the  last  repose  of 
the  Tery  nun,  who,  three  years  before,  had  met  him  in  that  same 

{(arden,  at  the  dead  hour  of  midnight,  and  whom  he  had  so  base- 
y  ruined  afterwards.  One  might  suppose  that  the  whole  scene 
would  have  come  up  in  his  mind,  and  that  the  image  of  that  then 
lovely  being  would  have  haunted  his  memory  mid  harrowed  his 
his  soul,  while  he  was  thus  engaged  in  prenariug  a  spot  to  hide 
her  body ;  and  so  it  did,  but  the  Jesuit  shook  off  all  sense  of  un- 
easiness, and  set  about  the  work  with  all  his  physical  strength, 
while  he  kept  his  thoughts  busied  with  planning  for  the  f ntur*. 
In  spite  of  himself,  however,  when,  •■  the  dook  sconded  midnightg 


150 


MystoiloB  of  ft  OQHTonti 


Mid,  feturaing  to  fhe  hoaw  for  the  oocpM,  h«  paaied  Um  phun 
tree  beoeath  which  he  had  itood,  three  yean  before|  with  hie  arm 
around  the  nofortunate  Sitter  Thereea.  he  started  UTolnntarily, 
and  with  a  shudder,  as,  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  he  thoucht  he 
saw  her  adTanoiug  to  meet  him ;  and  it  was  no  small  relief  to  his 
feelings,  when  he  disoovered,  that  it  was  the  Mother  Superior, 
who  was  coming  to  see  what  progress  he  had  made. 

Fully  realizing  the  extreme  delicacy  of  his  position,  under  the 
peculiar  oirounistances  which  sarronuded  both  of  them  on  this 
occasion,  a*  <^  ^n  the  existence  of  recollections  which  came  op 
fresh  to  thn  mories  of  both,  while  neither  dared  to  make  any 
allusion  to  .r:^^  the  Father  (General  gracttfuUy  offered  his  arm 
to  the  MothtfT  Superior,  and,  playfully  complimenting  her  upon^ 
her  good  looks,  led  her  to  the  house. 

Here,  quietly  ascending  to  the  room  in  which  the  dead  nun  lay, 
fhe  Superior  locked  the  dpor,  and  bade  the  General  entor ;  nar^ 
rowly  observiug  his  countonance  as  he  approached  the  hed>sidiL 
while  she  held  a  candle  in  her  hand,  and,  as  she  perceived  a  slight 
shudder  to  pass  through  his  frame  as  he  took  the  body  in  his  arms, 
nnd  threw  it  upon  his  shoulder,  a  scornful  smile  might  have  been 
»)6n  upon  her  proud  features ;  but  which  she  took  good  oaro 
aixould  not  be  witnessed  by  him. 

Thev  thus  passed  down  again  to  the  garden ;  the  Mother  Snpe- 
lior  bearing  in  her  hand  a  bucket  of  lime,  which  she  had  previ- 
ously pltioed  near  the  door  stops ;  and,  in  the  course  of  half  an 
hour,  the  remains  of  Sister  Tlseresa,  unslurouded  and  uncof&ned. 
were  resting  in  the  narrow  bed  prepared  for  her,  and  the  spot 
marked  only  by  the  up-piled  briars  and  rubbish ;  while  the  Father 
General  and  the  Mother  Superior  were  seated  in  the  oratory  of 
the  latter,  plotting  how  they  might  secure  to  the  order  the  lane 
estete  of  her  father,  left  to  her  on  the  condition  of  renouncing  tM 
Catholic  faith,  and  throwing  aside  her  nun's  dress;  aoonoution 
with  which  she  would  most  gladly  have  complied,  had  she  been 
alive,  and  had  it  boan  in  her  power ;  though  poverty  for  her  life 
long,  a\Ad  not  unbounded  wealth,  had  been  the  result.  Slie  had, 
however,  exchanged  her  religious  habit,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  for  one 
of  glorious  sheen,  and  her  prison-house  on  earth  for  a  noble  man- 
sion in  the  skies.  The  quiet  smile  of  hope  which  played  up^in  the 
cold  features  of  the  clay  which  her  freed  spirit  had  left  hahind, 
gave  token  that,  though  uufriended  here,  she  had  found  friends 
there,  "  where  tLe  wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and  the  weary 
are  for  ever  at  rest." 

An  Omuiacieut  eye,  however,  had  beheld  this  deed  of  darkness ; 
and,  though  the  perpetrators  might  balfle  and  deceive  their  short- 
sighted fellow-creatures,  yet  they  could  not  escape  the  detection 
of  Him  who  seeth  all  things. 

The  next  moruing,  j  ust  at  daybreak,  the  Father  General  was 
aeen  to  enter  his  own  room  on  the  first  floor,  by  the  Sister  Porter, 
as  she  descended  to  ring  the  bell  for  matius.  She  knew  not  where 
he  had  spent  the  night,  but  had  her  own  surmises,  which,  how- 
ever, prudent  i2;oman  that  she  was,  she  kept  to  herself. 


'«■' 


■*f- 


thephuB 
InotarUj, 

>0Uffht£6 

Heftohis 
Saperior, 

ladtr  th« 
on  this 
(Muneap 
lake  any 
his  arm 
wtnpott 

nan  1*7, 
er;nar- 
bed.aidiL 
lasUghS 
liaarmi^ 
^▼ebeen 
tod  oara 

BrSapa- 
i  pwTi- 
'  half  an 
Boffiaad. 
he  spot 
>  Father 
itotyot 
helaMe 
dog  the 
mdition 
la  been    ' 
herlifft 
'aehad, 
for  one 
leman. 
K>a  f  he 
lahiud, 
Irieads 
wear/ 

hiess; 
short- 
action 

I  was 

•orter, 
where 
how- 


Mjstirlai  of  a  Oonmi 


ttl 


OHAFTEB  XTX. 

Ooptieity-^nia  plot  thidkens— Bsward  offtred  for  the  nlisfaig  .« 
sabstftote  fonnd— A  thiid  party  in  the  plot— Thrsatsnsd  tomolt. 

Wnnr  about  to  ilt  down  to  the  breakftut-table,  the  n«zt  mom- 

trlog,  tha  Mother  Saperior,  turning  to  Sister  Martina,  In  the  most 

t  natural  manner  imMinable,  asif  it  were  an  «Tery  dav  oocurrenoe, 

q  told  her  to  go  to  Sister  Theresa's  room,  and  see  u  she  want* 

-.^  ad  anything ;  remarking,  as  she  did  so,  to  the  Father  QaneraL 

that  this  Sister  had  been  sick,  for  some  length  of  time,  and  that 

she  was  afraid  she  would  continue  to  be  so,  for  some  weeks  longer, 

though  she  did  not  apprehend  a  serious  result  in  the  case. 

The  morning  meal  was  nearlr  finished,  when  Sister  Martina 
glided  into  tiie  room,  and,  in  what  was  designed  to  appear  as  a 
wliisper,  but  at  the  same  time  to  b4  oTerheard  by  the  Father 
Oeneral,  she  told  the  Mother  Superior  that  Sister  Theresa  was 
not  in  her  room,  and  that  it  seemed  to  be  in  confusion,  as  if  sha 
had  left  it  hastily. 

"  Not  in  her  room  T*  repeated  the  Superior,  with  well-aifeoted 
•orpriae. 

**No,  inadam,"  answered  the  nun. 

**  She  must  be  in  some  of  the  other  rooms,  in  the  game  pari  of 
the  house,  then,"  returned  the  Superior ;  **  go,  my  good  Martina, 
and  see  if  she  is  not." 

**  I  have  looked  into  them  all,"  was  the  response ;  '*  but  I  can* 
not  find  her  any  whare." 

<*  'Tis  TeiT  strange,"  remarked  the  Superior— "I  do'  not  know 
what  to  make  of  it.  Go,  Sister  Martina,  into  every  room  in  the 
•house,  and  see  if  you  can  find  her,  und  let  me  know  immediately, 
for  I  feel  uneasy  about  her."  Then,  tuming  to  the  nuns  and 
boarders,  as  thev  sat  in  long  lines  at  uie  two  tables,  she  asked  jf 
any  of  then^  had  seen  Sister  Theresa  that  morning ;  and,  as  might 
be  expected,  was  answered  in  the  negative. 

On  report  being  made  to  the  Mother  Superior  that  the  missing 
nun  could  not  be  found  anywhere  about  the  bouse,  orders  were 
ffiven  that  the  well,  the  cistern,  and  all  of  the  places  into  which 
it  was  possible  that  she  might  have  fallen,  if  in  her  weakness  of 
body  she  had  attempted  to  pass  about  the  yard,  should  be  strictly 
Marched ;  but  iu  vain,  she  was  still  unfound. 

The  Superior's  countenance  betrayed  a  neat  deal  of  well* 
feigned  anxiety;  the  Father  (General  seemed  to  be  jreatly  dis- 
turbed ;  the  whole  house  was  in  an  uproar— nuns  mnniDg  here 
and  running  there— others standin?  about  in  groups,  in  earnest 
conversation— all  completely  mystified,  and  lost  in  wonder  at  so 
strange  an  occurrence,  while  none  seemed  to  be  more  so  than  the 
two  individuals  i^eseut,  who  knew  all  abcat  the  affair. 

At  leuffth,  when  all  further  search  appeared  to  ha  useless,  the 
Mother  Superior,  speakiuK  so  as  to  be  heard  by  most  of  those  pre- 
sent, requested  the  Father  General  to  accompany  her  to  her  pri- 
vate parlour,  in  order,  as  she  said,  that  she  might  consult  him 
further  in  reference  to  this  truly  mysterious  disappearance  of  one 
of  their  number,  and  as  to  the  steps  which  it  might  be  necessary 
to  take  in  the  premises.  Having  spent  a  half  hour  thus,  as  the 
family  lupposed,  they  again  appeared  in  the  parlour,  in  thamidft 


162 


UysteiieB  of  a  Gonyent 


of  lh«  MMnb1«d  noniuid  boarden;  and  the  F«ith«r  Otnenl 
aanouDoed  it  m  hU  deliberate  opinion  that  the  miMing  nan  had 
eaoaped  from  the  convent,  daring  the  previous  night,  bv  the  aid 
of  some  peraoD  or  penous  unknown :  and.  calling  for  nis  horuk 
iotimnted  hit  intention  of  making  diligent  March  for  her,  thai 
■be  might  be  apprehended  and  brought  back ;  at  the  aame  time, 
requir&g  the  Superior  to  degrade  the  Sister  Porter  from  her  of* 
lice,  for  want  of  due  vigilance  in  the  discharge  of  her  dutlee,  un* 
Um  it  eould  be  made  to  appear  that  she  wae  not  to  blame.  80 
•ajinff,  and  giving  his  blessing  to  all  present,  the  Father  Gtonenl 
monntodhis  horse,  which  hM  meanwhile  been  brought  totht 
door,  and  returned  to  the  city. 

In  the  papers  of  the  following  day,  an  advertisement  appeared, 
oouohed  m  such  language  as  this : 

**nFTT  OOLIiABS  BBWIXD. 

**  Left  the  Ckmvehtof  the  Annunciation,  on  the  i^btof  Um 
18th  instant,  in  a  state  of  mental  derangement,  produced  by  fe« 
Tcr,  a  nun,  who  is  doubtless  not  far  frr.m  the  establishment  but 
who  has  not  yet  been  found,  although  diligent  search  has  been 
made  for  her.  The  humane  will  greatly  relieve  the  distressed 
feelings  of  her  sister  nuns,  by  giving  any-information  that  they 
may  have  in  the  premises,  and  receive  the  above  reward  for  the 
restoration  to 

'*Fbakooxs  JxmxBT, 
n  <<  No.  87,  Chamber  Street,  New  York.** 

«*Jii^W<A,1812." 

Anxious  to  give  this  pretended  escape  of  the  sick  nnn  as  much 
publicity  «■  possible,  without  appearing  to  do  so,  the  Qeneral, 
auring  the  day,  sent  some  of  his  ooufident  emissaries  into  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  city,  to  talk  about  the  affair  in  various  crowded 
resorts,  as  an  item  of  news,  until,  by  noon,  it  was  noised  abroad 
everywhere,  and  produced  quite  an  excited  state  of  feeling.  Ya* 
rious  parties  of  xealous  Oatnolios  visited  the  convent,  and  con- 
versed with  the  Mother  Superior,  during  the  week  foUowiog; 
and  others  scoured  the  surrounding  country,  in  search  of  the  fu- 
gitive, but  without  success.  The  excitement  at  length  died  awaj, 
and  the  affair  was  well  nigh  forKotten. 

Meanwhile,  the  Father  General  had,  by  means  of  his  own  in- 
defatigable iuduatry,  for  be  dared  not  entrust  the  matter  to  the 
agency  of  any  thira  person,  succeeded  in  finding  a  nun  of  about 
the  same  age,  height,  colour  of  hair,  complexion,  and  general  con- 
tour of  person  aod  features,  with  the  deceased  nun ;  and,  in  bring- 
ing her,  unseen  and  closely  veiled,  travelling  in  a  close  carriage, 
and  principally  by  night,  from  the  convent  in  Canuda,  where  he 
had  discovered  her,  to  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Wilmot,  in  New  York 
city,  where  he  stealthily  left  her,  about  one  month  after  the  pre- 
tended disappearance  of  the  missing  nun. 

This  Mr.  Wilmot  was  a  member  of  the  Episeopal  Church,  no^ 
minally,  but  really  a  lay  Jesuit  in  disguise— and  with  him  the 
Father  (General  had  arranged  the  whole  matter,  with  the  conniv- 
ance of  the  wife  of  this  supposed  Ejiiscopalian ;  a  handsome  dou- 
ceur being  the  reward  of  their  iniquity.  It  may  be  proper,  also, 
to  say  that  Mr.  Wilmot  was  a  small  grocer,  at  the  comer  of  two 
■treeti,  somewhat  remote  from  the  centre  of  the  city.  It  was 
nearly  midnight  when  the  nun  entered  the  house,  disguised  iin  an 
ample  tzaveUing  dress,  which  completely  concealed  her  reVgious 
habit. 


l^fstorlflB  of  ft  ConTOiiti 


IBS 


y«il  momliifi*,  Ml*.  Wilaot  took  oan  to  n«ntloB,  la  oonfldmoiL 
to  mM  of  hia  (lusUnBen,  timt  duriof  the  proTioai  uight,  ard  Jut 
M  bis  family  wm  retiring  to  rait,  between  ten  and  eleTen  o'oioohi 
m  beaatifal  nno,  who  bore  traoea  of  reoeufr  Klnesa,  had  knoeked  at 
kia  front  door,  and.  appeerins  greatlj  terrified  when  he  went  to 
aeo  who  it  waa,  rttmed  into  the  paaaage.  and,  falling  apon  her 
kneea,  implored  him  to  talto  pity  upon  her,  aa  a  poor  nan  who 
bad  fled  from  moat  dreacUijt^rieotttiona  in  a  oonvent,  aome  dia> 
tanoe  off,  and  to  afford  Hnroteotion,  until  abe  oould  write  to 
hm father  to oome  and  talMher  home.  He  then  oaTe quite  aa 
kiterefttinff  aoooont  of  the  teoeption  whioh  he  and  hia  wife  had 
fflTen  to  the  poor  oreatnre,  and  toid  hia  f rienda  that  he  bad  no 
doubt,  from  oer  atory,  that  abe  waa  the  nun  oonceming  whom  a 
reward  of  fifty  doUara  bad  been  offered,  about  a  month  ago,  in 
ibo  oity  newapapera ;  but  that  he  ahould  loom  to  betray  the  in- 
nocent aufferer  into  the  banda  of  thoae  wretched  prieatai  and 
would  i^roteot  her,  aa  long  aa  she  choose  to  stay  in  hia  houae. 

Aa  might  naturally  be  aupposed,  and  aa  was  intended  by  the 
crafty  grocer,  who  bad  hia  cue  from  the  Father  Oeneral,  theee 
flrienda  of  hii^  to  whom  thia  aecret  was  confided,  thought  it  too 
good  to  keep,  and  ao  reltcTcd  their  burdened  minds  by  abar  jg 
their  confidence  with  some  of  their  neighbours.  These,  in  their 
turn,  thinking  that  a  division  of  responsibility  was  *'  within  the 
line  of  safe 'precedents,"  imjparted  tne  secret  to  their  friends,  un- 
til, by  ten  o'clock  that  morning,  a  large  crowd  had  gathered  about 
the  grooer'a  door,  clamorous  to  see  the  escaped  nun.  Closing  bis 
ihop  door,  however,  and  sending  off  post  haste  for  a  bod;  of  po- 
lice to  protect  his  dwelling,  and  for  some  two  or  three  clergymen 
of  different  denominations,  aa  well  as  a  lawyer  of  some  eminence 
with  whom  he  wished  to  consult  aa  to  what  course  he  should 
mnreue,  he,  in  the  meantime,  appeared  at  an  upper  window,  and 
told  the  assembled  crowd,  which  was  every  moment  increasing, 
that  it  was  true  that  he  had  given  protection  to  a  friendless  nun, 
who  had  claimed  it  at  his  hands,  and  that  he  was  determined  to 
guard  her  with  his  life,  until  she  should  go  forth  from  his  house, 
of  her  own  accord,  or  he  had  had  time  to  take  couusel.with  thoee 
for  whom  he  had  sent,  and  who  were  more  experienced  in  f  uoh 
raatters  than  himself. 

This  declaration  was  heard  with  cheers  by  the  Protestants,  and 
hisses  and  groans  by  the  Catholics,  instigated,  bat  held  in  check, 
by  the  emissaries  of  the  Father  Qeneral,  who,  from  a  neighbour- 
ing house,  in  which  he  had  concealed  himself— the  house  of  a 
member  of  that  church— directed  the  movements  of  his  partv. 

«  But  the  nun  is  crazy,"  shouted  some  of  the  Catholics,  **  and 
does  not  know  what  she  is  doing." 

"She  is  not  crazy,"— replied  the  grocer ;'—"  she  is  no  more 
crazy  than  you  are.  She  is  an  exoeediugly  sensible  woman,  and 
knows  very  well  what  she  is  about." 

**  I  demand  that  yob  give  her  up  to  me,"  said  a  very  genteelly 
dressed  man,  who  now  made  his  appearance  in  front  of  the  mob. 
**  I  make  this  demand  in  the  name  of  the  Spiritaal  Fattier  who 
has  the  charge  of  her." 

**  I  shall  do  no  such  thing,"  said  the  grocer. 

**  Tou  most,  or  we  will  tue  her  by  force,"  mplied  ttn  meloM- 
man,  who  looked  around  him,  to  see  how  many  ne  oottM  WfnA 
\jipon,  in  the  erowd,  to  aid  him  in  the  assault. 


164 


Vfiteta  of  i  Oontiit 


**Z  MBinMBi  jOQ  to  kMp  th«  pMMk"  Mid  ftMtflilmlik  foltoir* 
•d  bv  ft  h&fj  of  poUot,  whoftdTMiotd,  and  laid  hii  hand  «poatlM 
diooldor  of  Iho  baUigntnt. 

**  I  ihaU  parmit  no  Tiolanoa  hara,  my  frianda,"— ha  addadp-^  tha 
inopar  antboritiaa  muit  dadda  this  mattar;  i«d  I  know  yoo  aia 
too  good  oitiaans  to  wrait  it  out  of  thair  handi." 

**  That  it  tha  right  war.  That  ia  light  1"  otiad  oot  ft  Mora  of 
Toioat-'Matthafawdcoidait."       #^ 

Maanwhila,  tha  panona  Mut  for  ■11  arrirad ;  and  it  waa  d^ 
tarminad  that  tha  nun  ibould  praMnf  herMlf,  unde?  a  atrong  aa- 
oort  of  polioa,  bafore  tha  city  authoritiei,  and  ^laim  thair  pro* 
taction,  as  being  strongar  and  mora  affioiant  than  that  of  anj 
priTftta  indiTidnal. 

In  a  faw  minutai,  a  carriage  waa  brouffht  to  tha  grocar'a  door, 
in  which  tha  nun,  together  with  Dr.  Ohine,  an  Epiioopal  minia- 
ter,  the  Ber.  Mr.  Bcott,  a  Freibyterian  clergyman,  and  the  Bev. 
Mr.  Fletcher,  of  the  Methodist  church,  were  seated  ;  while  tha 
magistrate  and  his  cItII  force  surrounded  the  carriage,  and  aflao* 
tnallT  guuded  them  from  the  show  of  resistance  and  attach 
which  waslnade  by  tha  Oatholic  portion  of  tha  crowd,  but  whioh 
was  too  well  trained,  howerer,  to  strike  without  a  signal  from 
thair  leaders,  who  were  thickly  interspersed  among  ttiem,  and 
bald  them  in  perfect  control,  although  tnera  were  not  a  faw  hot* 
haftdad  Irishmen  in  tha  midst 


1  I 


OHAFTEB  XX. 

Ibe  pretended  nun  undergoes  a  judical  examination— Jesuitical  manflraf>> 
nng— An  apt  pupil— The  inquiry  terminates  in  fliTour  of  the  snppoii- 
ednun. 

Abbxvxd  at  the  mayor's  office,  the  nun,  who  gaTa  her  name  aa 
Emilia  da  Vere,  otherwise  called  by  the  appellation,  as  a  religi- 
auM,  of  Sister  Theresa,  stated  that,  in  consequence  of  persecution 
and  neglect  in  the  Oonyent  of  Annunciation,  she  had  fled  from 
thatestoblishment,  about  a  month  ago;  had  reached  the  city  on 
the  last  evening,  and  now  claimed  the  protection  of  the  dty  an- 
thorities,  until  she  could  write  to  her  father,  who  resided  in  tha 
south,  and  from  whom  she  had  not  heard  for  many  years,  to  come 
and  take  her  home ;  declaring,  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  with 
hands  uplifted  to  heaven,  »ud  tears  in  her  eyes,  whioh  drew  tears 
in  turn  from  almost  every  eye  in  the  house,  his  honour  the  mayor 
not  excepted — that  she  then  and  for  ever  abjured  Boman  Catho- 
licism, and  all  allegiance  to  pope  or  priest— oeseeohing  those  be- 
fore whom  she  then  stood,  not  to  suffer  her  to  fall  into  the  handa 
of  her  enemies  airain,  as,  in  that  event,  her  life  would  most  in- 
evitably be  the  forfeic.  She  acted  her  part  to  perfection,  and 
completely  imposed  upon  all  present. 

Francois  Jubert,  the  Father  General,  then  stepped  forward,  and 
declared  that  he  had  the  spiritual  charge  of  the  nuns  belonging 
to  the  Gonvent  of  the  Anunciation— that  the  nun  was  correct  in 
stating  that  she  had  fled  from  the  establishment,  about  a  month 
•boa,  and  that  she'  was  tha  aama  for  whoM  recovery  ha  had  offer- 
•d  ft  zaward  of  flfty  doUari,  en  tha  Uth  of  Jnly  last,  bat  thai  it 


/ 


^lollMr* 


of 


Mysterlflt  of  a  GonTaii 


iwr 


and 


WM  not  tni«  that  ibc  bad  baan  panaeatad  or  BMMadF-M  tho 
aontra^,  ba  afinaad  that  aha  bad  baan  moat  kindly  oaiad  lor  bj 
tha  Mothar  Saparior,  and  by  all  tha  mamban  of  tha  family ;  ad- 
diofTf  that  tha  nun  bad  baooma  eraay  by  maant  of  a  Mvara  apall 
of  liohnaM,  tha  traoaa  of  whioh  her  pafa  oountananoa  still  bora, 
and  that  this  ataia  of  mental  aberration  had  lad  her  to  taka  tha 
•lap  whioh  iha  h,  J.  He  ooooluded  by  axpresdnv  tha  hopa  that 
hia  honour,  tha  mayor,  would  not  luCfer  tha  Oatholio  Ohuron  to  ba 
•oandaliaadby  tha  wild  raTinRS  of  an  insane  nun;  but  thatha 
would  order  her  surrender  to  him,  that  ha  miffht  take  her  haok  to 
bar  kind  friends,  tha  Mothar  Superior  and  the  sisters  of  oharity. 
whoso  hearts  were  now  filled  with  disquietude  at  her  absenoe.  ana 
with  apprehensions  for  her  safety,  while  thus  addressing  him- 
aelf  to  the  mayor,  he  oast  looks  of  paternal  regard  and  pitr  upon 
the  nun,  and  even  shed  a  tear,  as  if  in  oommispration  of  ner  un- 
fortunate oondition. 

The  minister*  present,  bowerer,  in  their  turn,  azprassed  thair 
oonfldenoe  in  tne  sanity  of  the  nun,  and  deolarad  that  they  oould 
not  beliera,  without  further  eridenee  than  they  had,  that  tha  da* 
elaration  of  insanity,  made  by  the  prinat,  was  anything  more  thuk 
a  ruse  to  gat  the  poor  girl  baok  into  his  possession. 

The  mayor  then  sent  for  two  of  tha  ablest  phydoians  in  tha  dty, 
and  requested  them  to  examine  the  nun  fully,  and  to  satisfy  tham- 
boItss  as  to  the  oondition  of  her  miud.  This  request  they  oom- 
plied  with ;  and,  haying  oonrersed  with  her  there  in  the  open 
oourt  for  more  than  an  hour,  assisted  at  times  by  questions  from 
tha  obrgymen— they  declared,  upon  oath,  that,  so  far  from  bar 
being  orasy,  she  was  in  the  full  possession  of  Tijrorous  faoultiaa 
of  mind,  of  extraordinary  power,  and  was,  upon  the  whole,  one  of 
tho  most  inteUeotual  woman  they  ever  conversed  with  in  their  livas. 

The  Father  General  here  interfered,  and,  stated  that  hers  was 
a  oase  monomania,  and  that,  while  she  oould  oonverse  intelligent- 
ly enough  upon  every  other  suhiect— if  they  would  introduce  a 
topio  which  ne  would  name  to  them  privately,  they  would  find 
that,  in  a  few  moments,  she  would  become  perfectly  wild  upovit. 

Having  whispered  this  topic  in  their  ears,  in  reference  to  whioh 
ba  had  declared  her  to  he  a  monomaniac,  the  physicians  nrooeed- 
ad  to  converse  with  her  upon  it,  for  some  time;  and,  although  it 
waa  one  of  her  exceeding  delicacy,  and  she  was  talking  with  those 
who  were  entire  strangers  to  her,  yet  such  was  the  modesty  of  her 
replies,  and  so  rational  were  they,  that  her  interrogators  indig- 
nantly affirmed  that  it  was  an  outrageous  trifling  with  the  tima 
of  whe  court,  and  more  especially,  with  the  feelings  of  the  into- 
resting  lady ;  for  she  was  perfeotly  free  from  all  traces  of  insanity 
as  any  individual  of  them  all  there  present. 

His  honour  the  mayor  then  asked  the  nun  if  she  had  any  plaoa 
in  thb  city  in  view,  where  she  would  wish  to  stay,  until  her  father 
could  he  written  to ;  and  receiving,  for  answer,  that  she  would 
prefer  remaining  in  the  family  whose  protection  she  had  first 
claimed,  if  it  was  thought  safe  for  her  to  be  there ;  and  Mr.  Wil- 
mot  stating  that  he  would  give  bond  and  security,  in  any  sum  re- 
quired by  the  mayoj,,  for  the  safe  keeping  and  rendition  of  tha 
nnn  whenever  called  upon  to  do  so,  it  was  ordered  that  she  be  n- 
tnmed  to  his  house,  and  there  suffered  to  remain  unmolested. 

Tha  Father  General  bit  his  Up,  as  if  in  angry  disappointmanti 
and  laft  tha  room ;  whila  Mr.  Wumot  took  eAargad[1aiiaBan,and9 


156 


l^ysteiies  of  a  GonTeni 


maAm  the  Meoii  of  m  poHoaolBoMr,  rt-raterinR  tb«  mntefft  wliMi 
bad  born*  thorn  to  tho  nayor*!  oftoo,  WMdriron  to  hit  rooidouott 
Hon  tho  nan  loon  exohouffod  hor  reliffiout  habit  for  a  Moalar 
dnat ;  and,  as  aho  dwelt  aquiot  inmato  in  his  family,  noTer  goins 
out  into  tho  itroet.  ozoept  at  nifrht,  and  to  Titit  the  dwolliov  of 
tho  Father  Glonoral,  no  f  arthor  exoitomont  oocurrod  in  tho  public 
Bind.  Tho  Oatholiot,  who.  under  other  ciroametanoes,  would 
have  raised  an  unffOTemable  storm  about  tho  poof  Bon'a  ears, 
being  oontrollod  aud  kept  quiet  by  their  superiors. 


CHAPTER  XXL  * 

The  Father  Oeneral'i  renidenoe— The  library— Splendid  ftimitnre  and  flW 
tingt  of  the  Mtablishment— The  Father  General's  letter  to  the  Mother 
Bapeiioi^ Plot  upon  plot.  . 

Tarn  residenoe  of  tho  Father  Goneral,  in  New  York,  was  a  band- 
■omo  thcee^story  briok  building;,  of  the  first  class  of  priTste  houses 
baying  a  basement  with  dining  room  and  kitohon  attaohed ;  a 
suite  of  drawing  rooms,  riohly  furnished,  on  the  first  floor  proper ; 
two  large  ohambers  on  the  second,  and  aa  many  in  the  third,  with 
a  neat  little  room,  over  the  hall,  on  both;  and  a  fine  attio,  woU 
finished,  Ipf  tho  serTants  of  the  eetablishment.  In  the  rear  was 
a  small  yard,  which  his  taste  had  caused  to  be  bandsoroely  ar- 
ranged in  little  flower-beds,  in  which  were  some  most  rare  and 
beautiful  plants,  oaref uUy  attended  to  by  the  gardener  from  tht 
oity  oonTont.  who  came  at  regular  intenrals  to  spend  a  day  or 
two  in  working  the  beds,  nnd  seeing  that  everj^thiog  was  in  nioa 
order.  Between  this  residence  and  the  adioiuing  house,  was  an 
alley  of  some  three  feet  and  a  half  in  width,  with  a  front  gate 
opening  upon  the  street ;  the  alley  running  back  into  the  garden. 
The  front  chamber  of  this  dwelling,  in  the  seoond  story,  waa  oo- 
onpied  by  the  Father  General ;  the  rear  one  appropriated  to  hie 
guests,  and  the  small  room  oyer  the  door,  as  a  oabinet  where  ho 
kept  his  most'yaluable  papers  in  an  iron  ufe,  did  all  of  his  writ- 
ing, and  transacted  his  priyate  business.  The  only  opening  to 
this  room  was  through  his  ohamber ;  as  he  had  the  door  former* 
ly  leading  from  it  into  the  passage,  built  up,  so  as  to  render  him^ 
■elf  the  more  secure  from  eayes<dropping. 

The  front  room  in  the  third  story  was  fitted  up  as  a  library; 
haying  shelves  arranged  on  all  sides,  upon  which  was  found  a 
magniflcent  collection  of  hooka,  in  all  laomiages,  and  upon  almost 
all  suojects ;  many  of  them  very  rare  and  of  great  yalne.  A  map- 
rack  stood  on  one  side  of  the  room,  proyided  with  maps  and  at> 
lases,  some  of  which  were  especially  prepared  with  a  yiew  to  ez- 
liibit,  at  a  glance,  the  points  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  where  the 
tTesuita  had  established  themselyes.  A  yery  large  terrestrial 
globe,  also,  stood  near  these  majw.  An  oyal  table,  coyered  with 
green  doth,  and  of  large  dimensions,  occupied  the  centre  of  this 
'  loom,  upon  which  were  bundles  of  letters  and  papers  tied  up  witii 
nd  tapa,  and  neatly  labelled  by  the  secretary  of  the  Father  Qen- 
aral,  a  young  Italian  by  the  name  of  Pietro  Lodetti,  who  spent 
laeak  of  hit  time  in  the  nbrary,  during  the  day,  and  occupied  the 
•djoiaiHt  iMd-coom,  at  nightt     it  may  be  as  well  to  state,  hen, 


MistniM  of  ft  OntToni 


1B7 


ttallMifMntaij  hadbMu  Mot  mil  Iron  IMy,  bv  Mm  IimA  of 
Um  mdm  tti««^  of  Ms  own  aoeord,  lo  tko  IMIior  dononl  in  tho 
XJwiUA  BMmt  with  tho  raol,  ttioaffh  not  avowod.  iufcantion  of 
Mttoff  M  » ipy  npon  thoMtioni  of  tho  lottor;  inoh  Mnc  tho  nu- 
piofono  jooloiaqr  of  thoao  Jetulto,  in  xofonoot  to  ooeh  ottier. 

It  WM  altogothor  »  nv  ottabliihmont  in  its  ontin  fitting  up ; 
and^  WTO  that  it  had  thr<  ORhout  that  nMonlIno  lono  which  Momi 
to  bo  inwponbly  oontieotad  with  all  btoholor  midonoot,  firom 
whioh  tho  mellowins  hand  of  woman  and  bar  dolioate  taato  havo 
boon  oxolndod,  it  mi^ht  haro  boon  a  model  for  the  whole  oitjr,  in 
point  of  neatneie  and  elegance.  In  the  drawing  roomt  were  hang 
some  of  the  beet  speoimeni  of  the  old  maaters :  in  the  ehamhera 
were  found  all  poMible  luxurioui  contriTanoee  for  eaae  and  com- 
fort ;  iu  the  cnHine,  every  arraniremeiit  neceeaary  for  the  perfec- 
tion of  good  liTiog;  and  iu  the  cellar,  carefully  placed  nnder  look 
and  key,  a  chdce  ctore  of  the  riobest  old  wines,  duly  labelled 
with  the  dates  of  the  reepectiTO  Tintages,  npon  his  r'  ofbund  ao« 
qnaintanoe  with  which,  the  Father  General  greatly  prided  him- 
self. Itistmethat  all  thia  contrasted  strangelv  enough  with  , 
the  Jeeuit's  tow  of  porerty ;  but,  if  you  had  asked  him  to  nplain 
the  glaring  inconsistency,  he  would,  doubtless,  haTO  iroplied  ^o 
yon,  with  great  readiness,  that,  as  the  head  of  the  order  in  tiro 
United  States,  he  had  dispensation  to  lire  thus ;  the  importanoe 
and  dignity  of  the  ofBce  wnioh  he  filled,  requiring  that  ho  should 
live  in  corresponding  state. 

On  the  OToning  of  the  day  npon  which  the  nun  represen'Ia,-}; 
Emilie  de  Yere  or  the  Sister  Theresa,  had  been  taken  befon  the 
city  autboritiee,  the  Father  Oeneral  was  seated  at  the  round  table 
ooTored  with  green  cloth,  which  stood  in  his  cabinet,  busily  ett< 
gaiKod  in  writing  a  letter,  in  cypher,  to  the  Mother  Sapenor;a 
quiet  smile,  meanwhile,  playing  upon  his  features. 

After  giving  her  a  detailed  account  of  the  events  of  the  day,  he 
thnsproMeded: 

"  Thus,  you  will  perceiye,  our  plot  works  admirably.  The  Ca- 
nada nnn,  about  whom  I  have  already  written  to  you,  has  played 
her  part  to  profection ;  and  I  have  succeeded,  bv  her  help,  and  by 
the  manner  in  which  I  have  managed  this  whole  affair,*  in  making 
the  mayor  and  the  good  citizens  of  New  York  believe  the  nnn  to 
be  the  -veritable  one  whom  I  advertised,  last  July,  and  that  we 
Oatholios  are  the  most  barbarous  people  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 
But,  while  they  are  nnder  this  impression,  we  ut6  >iu'  idily  advanc- 
ing towards  the  desired  object,  and  can  afford  ic.  hi.  coyered  with 
the  dust  whioh  is  tbrown  up  bj  our  carriage  wheels,  whose  revo- 
lutions bear  us  to  the  acquisition  of  a  vast  inheritance.  It  is  of 
the  utmost  importance  to  ns,  that  every  pen  ible  suspicion  of  con- 
nivance in  this  matter  should  be  avoided ;  and  the  worse,  there- 
fore, the  attitude  in  which  we  apf  e(>r  !,o  stand  to  the  pretended 
Sister  Theresa,  the  more  improbable  it  is  that  oollufiion  should  ba 
suspected  or  detected. 

*'  I  have  written  to  Father  Marin,  to  make  every  possible  effort 
to  introduce  into  the  family  of  Mr.  Moretoo,  a  servant  under  the 
oontrol  of  our  order,  that  we  may  have  a  spy  upon  Julia,  and  ba 
able  to  countervail  any  mischief  ^at  she  or  her  friends  may  at- 
tempt to  do  so. 

M  On  to-morrow,  the  nnn  will  write  a  letter  as  £rom  Emilie  de 
Yexe  to  her  lather,  requesting  him  to  Qoma  and  take  her  home, 


168 


XysterieB  of  aGoATOii 


wUoli  I  ihaU  tdM  omw  to  wnd  to  tho  laneator  of  tho  Mlilt,  te 
rooh  ft  way  M  will  ftToid  all  taspioioii,  and  pat  tho  afliiratUp 
further  forward  io  Uie  proooH  of  oony.pletioii.  Ifoaawhilc  ■h* 
ii  wfely  hooMd  with  Mr.  Wile^ct;  li^bom  all  the  world  belieTee 
to  be  a  ffood  Bpiaoopalian.  wlaile  heia  one  of  qi,  and  as  true  aa 
•teel.    Hal  ha! 

**  I  will  keep  70a  advised  of  i*arther  proceedingi." 

To  this  letter  he  added  the  following  poitecript,  in  the  lama 
ejpher : 

<*  If  yon  hare  any  olothinur  of  Emilie  de  Vere,  worn  bj  her  pre- 
Tious  to  her  aMumiiiK  the  raligious  habit,  or  any  articlee  wnioh 
her  friends,  if  tl^n  be  any,  would  be  likely  to  recognise  as  hen- 
box  them  up  oarefuUy,  and  send  th<«m  to  my  address." 

Desnatohing  this  letter  to  the  post  offioe,  by  a  servant  who  an- 
■werecl  the  signal  bell  wire  whion  comuuicated  with  the  kitoheoy 
the  Father  Qeneral  applied  himself  to  the  examination  of  a  large 
mass  of  documents  whioh  he  took  from  the  iron  safe,  and  to  the 

Krusal  and  answering  of  several  letters  whioh  lay  upon  the  table 
fore  him  some  in  cypher,  and  some  in  a  plain  hand ;  and,  as  the 
great  town  dock,  on  the  City  Hall,  told  the  hour  of  two  in  the 
morning,  jaded  and  worn  out  with  fatigue,  he  entered  his  bed- 
room, and,  mumbling  a  sleepy  and  hasty  prayer,  thre#  himself 
npon  his  luxurious  oonoh  of  down,  and  slept  soundly  until  the  rap 
of  the  servant  at  the  door,  which  was  carefully  and  doubly  look- 
ed, aroused  him  to  a  late  breakfast. 


OHAPTBB  XXn. 

The  Father  0«neral's  anxiety— His  interview  and  transaetlon  with  the' 
fftlse  Emilie  de  Vera— The  fiibricated  letter— The  Italian  leeratuy— 
Plot  and  obnnter-plot— Pietro  and  Alice— The  intimacy  eommenoea. 

l^B  next  evening,  bbout  nine  o'clock,  the  Father  General  might 
have  been  seen  seated  at  his  cabinet,  at  the  little  green  table,  on 
which  were  placed  writing  matorials,  anxiously  awaiting  the  ar- 
rival of  some  one :  for  he  frequently  arose,  and,  going  to  the  win- 
dow, looked  out  into  the  darkness,  and  as  often  returned  to  his 
ohair,  with  an  evideutlv  increasing  uneasiness  of  manner. 

At  length,  he  was  about  to  seize  his  hat,  and  leave  the  room, 
when  he  heard  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps ;  the  gate  open- 
ing into  the  bllcT  jreaked  upon  its  hinges,  and  he  hastened  down 
stairs  to  meet  tb  expected  visitor,  who  turned  out  to  be  the  pre* 
tended  Sister  T.^resa,  dressed  not  in  the  garb  of  a  reltgieuae,  but 
that  of  a  womai  vn  the  middle  walk  of  life,  plain  but  neat.  She 
was  accompanied  by  the  secretary,  in  a  secular  dress,  who,  with 
his  quiet,  down  look,  glided  silently  by  her  side,  and,  crossing  his 
arms  upon  his  breast,  with  a  low  inclination  of  the  head,  as  he 
met  the  Father  Jesuit,  passed  on  to  his  own  apartment ;  leaving 
the  nun  whom  he  had  been  sent  for,  standing  in  the  hall  with  th« 
latter. 

**  I  will  call  for  you  in  two  hours,"  said  the  Oeneral  to  the  se- 
oretary,  aa  ttie  former  turned  to  ascend  the  stairway  almg  with 
fhe  nun. 

**  Tee,  sir,"  was  the  reply  of  the  secretary,  again  oroiaing  hit 
.Hfrns,  and  bowing  hia  haao* 


■=4 


•kitt 

^^ 

•lieTM 
no  M 


VyMim  of  a  (kstrml 


169- 


rprt* 
wfaioh 
lers-. 

loan- 

lar^a 
the 

table 
Mthe 
nthe 

bed. 
maelf 
«rap 
look. 


bthe' 

x~ 

ight 

I  on 

ar. 

rin. 
hii 

om, 
en« 

'WU 

re- 
but 
)he 
ith 
bis 
be 

be 


WhtB  fh*  Owttml  had  intiodaotd  tht  nim  into  Us  oaUntL 
oanfallT  looUnf  the  door  of  tho  bed-room,  ho  lookod  itomly  §i  . 
kar,  whUt  he  eaf'^ ,  in  an  impreHiTe  tone : 

**  Yon  are  an  hour  behind  jonr  time.    Why  ie  thia  f* 
^''^Hy  lord,**  replied  the  nnn,  aomewhat  alarmed  by  hit  earnest 
manner,  **  I  was  detained  by  some  oompany  that  oame  to  Mr. 
Wilmors,  after  tea<  and  whom  I  oonld  not  leave  without  appear- 
ing to  be  abrupt,  and  ezoite  suspioion." 

**  It  is  well.  Yon  have  aoted  your  part  nobly  so  far ;  oootinue 
to  bo  true  and  faithful,  and  you  will  deaerre  well  of  the  order. 
Botray  iny  trust,  and— you  know  what  will  be  the  eonsequeiioe," 
said  the  Father  Oeueral,  while  a  alight  tremor  paaaed  oTer  the 
poor  flirra  frame. 

MNow/'  oontinned  the  Jesuit,  <*  ait  down  at  that  table,  and 
wiita  as  I  ahaU  dioUte  to  you."  , 

«  ^010  Forh  CUy,  August  18, 1812. 
**  To  Mr.  Oharlea  de  Vere, 

B&ton  Bouge,  Louisiana. 

"  My  dear,  dear  father,  can  tou,  will  yon,  forgive  me,  for  the 
baae  part  I  have  aoted,  in  briogiug  ao  much  aorrow  upon  you  and 
upon.my  dear  mother,  of  whoae  death,  aome  yeara  ago,  I  have 
hierd  P  Oh,  if  ahe  were  but  alive,  how  wonld  it  rejoice  my  heart 
to  fall  upon  my  kneea  before  her,  and  implore  her  forgiveneaa, 
tool  but  ahe  ia  gone ;  and  you  are  my  only  remainfaiff  parent. 
WiU  you  forgive  me,  dear  father,  when  I  tell  you  that  I  have  re- 
pented in  duat  anfl  aabea— that  I  have  fled  from  the  hated  con- 
vent, and  renounced  Boman  Oatholioism  for  ever?  O,  come  to 
me,  beloved  father !  and  tell  me  that  you  do  forgive  me ;  and 
take  me  away  from  this  region,  where  I  fear,  every  day,  that  the 
dreadful  priests  will  find  me  out,  and  use  violence  to  my  life. 
You  will  find  me  at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  William  Wilmot,  a  gro- 
cer, at  the-comer  of  Hudson  and  King-street.  Mr.  Wilmot  is  a 
Protestant,  who  has  kindly  taken  me  into  his  family,  and  so  far 
protected  me  against  the  efforts  of  the  vile  Jesuits.  But  hasten  to 
mo,  dear  father— every  daywill  seem  an  age  until  I  see  yon. 

"Your  repentant  child, 

"  EXZLXB  DB  YBBB." 

**  There,  that* a  a  good  girl,"  said  the  Gtooeral,  patting  the  nun 
on  the  head.    "  Let  me  aee  what  vou  have  written." 

"  Ah  1  that  ia  just  right,"  he  added,  after  having  carefully  per- 
naed  the  letter— "  juat  what  we  want.  Ma  foi,  but  you  write  a 
pretty  hand,  lust  like  those  pretty  fingers  with  which  you  wrote 
iV"  cootinned  he,  as  he  looked  archly  at  the  pretty  woman,  while 
ablush  mantled  her  cheeks." 

"  Oome  now,  my  dear,  direct  this  on  the  back,"  said  the  jTesuit. 
as  he  banded  her  the  letter,  which  he  had  meanwhile  folded  and 
enclosed  in  an  envelope—**  and  write  the  address  in  a  little  larger 
baud  than  you  have  used  within,  in  order  that  it  may  be  sure  not 
to  miscarry.    Yes,  that  will  do ;  thank  you,  my  pet." 

Leaving  the  pretty  nun  with  the  Father  Jesuit,  while  he  in- 
•truots  her  fully  in  that  part  which  she  is  to  act  in  the  plot,  let  us 
go  up  stairs,  and  look  in  upon  the  secretary.  See,  there  he  sits, 
m  that  room  filled  with  books,  surrounded  by  a  pile  of  papers, 
which  he  seems  to  have  been  engaged  in  arranging  and  filing. 
But  ho  no  longer  has  that  quiet,  down  look ;  bis  feet  are  placed 
upon  the  edge  of  the  table:  m  he  leans  back  in  bis  ohair,  ho 


160 


MTBtffl^ias  of  a  C(»iTeiit 


u 


tmixU  hk  pen  beiweMi  hfa  &•!«•,  and  bis  {neiaing  blaok  vjm  It 
Auieing  in  ttt  floolEflk,  m,  with,  a  look  fn^  of  intelligiMioe,  heaeomi 
to  be  lolTing  Bome  mental  question  wbiob  deeply  intereete  Mm. 
Ihresently,  as  if  unable  to  anriTe  at  any  ssEtisfaotory  oondnsion, 
he  tbveir  the  pea  upon  the  table,  with  a  gestnie  of  impatianoei 
esclainung— 

**  I  will  find  it  out,  in  epite  of  him.  It  is  no  mese  lore  intrignei 
I  am  snre.  If  so,  why  should  this  mm  have  come  all  the  wa^ 
from  Ganada,  as  she  told  me,  to-night,  she  had ;  and  why  all  this 
pretence  about  her  escape  from  the  Oouvent  of  the  Annundatioa, 
and  about  her  being  a  sister  somebody  instead  of  herself  P.  why 
this  personation  of  another  nun,  and  all  this  uproar  at  the  may- 
or's office  P  Why  is  she  staying  at  Wilmot's  P  There  is  some 
S«nd  plot  on  hand ;  and  I  will  have  a  hand  in  it— I  tow  to  th» 
oly  Virgin,  I  will."  . 

**  But  how  shall  I  go  about  it?  Ah  I  I  see.  I  will  make  loye 
to  this  nun^and  then,  Mr.  Father  General— my  Lord,  the  repre- 
sentatiye  of  the  Great  Head  of  Uie  Jesuits  in  these  United  States 
—then  see  if  I  do  not  get  from  her  all  she  knows  about  this  mat- 
ter :  and  she  must  necessarily  know  a  good  deal.  Aha !  Fietco, 
jou  have  got  him  now." 

So  saying,  the  young  priest  seemed  to  be  greatly  elated ;  but, 
net  in  the  height  of  it,  and  while  he  was  still  planning  and  plot- 
ing,  in  his  own  mind,  how  he  should  carry  out  his  newly-form- 
ed scheme,  a  signal,  which  apprised  him  that  the  Father  (General 
required 'his  presence  to  attend  the  nun  to  her  home,  interrupted 
his  reveiie,  and  called  him  down  stairs.  Here  be  found  the  latter 
awaiting  him,  with  averted  countenance,  outside  the  chamber 
door  of  the  General ;  and  the  two,  descending  to  the  yaid,  soon 
found  their  way  to  the  street,  and  rapidly  walked  towards  the 
part  of  the  city  in  which  Mr.  Wilmot  lived.  t 

During  the  ^teen  minutes  which  ela^eed  before  Beaching  the 
residence  of  the  nun,  the  secretary  had  made  such  {^d  use  of 
his  time,  that  she  had  promised  to  take  a  walk  with  him,  for  the 
benefit  of  her  health,  on  the  following  night ;  it  being  agreed 
npon,  between  them,  that,  at  dark,  she  shomd  retire  to  her  room, 
oa  pretence  of  a  headache,  while  he  would  walk  slowly  before 
the  nonse,  on  thfl  opposite  side  of  the  way ;  and,  when  she  dis- 
covered him,  she  was  to  steal  quietly  out  mto  the  street,  and 
Join  him. 

The  truth  is,  that  the  nun  found  it  a  very  tiresome  affair  to  be 
cooped  up  in  a  small  house^  day  after  day,  with  nothing  to  do ; 
while  the  busy  scenes  in  the  street  upon  which  she  looked,  day 
after  day,  excited  her  woman's  curiosity  to  know  more  of  what 
was  going  on  in  the  world  around  her ;  and,  as  she  did  not  dare 
to  go  but  alone,  b>  day  or  by  night,  she  looked  upon  the  offer  of 
the  handsome  young  Italian  as  affording  her  just  what  Jti9  want- 
ed, an  opportunity  for  rambling  about  unobserved,  and  of  taking 
a  peep  at  men  and  things  as  they  existed  outside  of  the  walle  u 
a  convent. 

They  did  ramble  about,  for  two  good  hourSj  that  night  ol  their 
appointment ;  and,  while  the  secretary  continued  to  amuue  her 
childish  curiosity,  by  means  of  many  strange  sights  and  sounds 
which  attracted  her  observation  and  fell  upon  her  ear,  he  manag- 
ed most  adroitly,  and  all  unoonsciously  to  her,  to  draw  from  her, 
indiceetly,  a  number  of  items  which  gaTe  him,  unitedly,  soma 


(A 


1 
C 

C 

0 

a 

i 


•f  k 


IgvterieB  of  a  0ini76ni 


m 


(Axm  to  fluB  grand  plot  whoM  oziitonoe  ho  nuq^Mted,  uiA  of  ivliete 
mtltam  he  f ut  Mmoiu  to  hsro  lomo  knowledgo. 

ThoMi  noctomal  ramblings  wezekeptup  for  a  leonrfderablo 
langth  of  time ;  bn^  ai  they  did  not  oceur  oftener  than  onee,  or 
lU  most,  twioe  a  week,  and  great  oare  was  taken  that  thoT  should 
not  be  extended  to  sach  an  hoar  in  the  night  as  would  be  likely 
to  plao^  the  nun  in  the  position  of  beina  looked  ont  after  the  fa- 
vaty  had  retired  to  rest,  they  were  not  diiooyered ;  while  they  led 
to  oonsequences  which  will  have  an  important  bearing  upon  fa- 
tote  events  in  the  progress  of  this  story. 


OFAPTEB  XXIir. 

AUes's  parents— Placed  in  a  oonTentatan  early  age— Ifew  fBelings  nra- 
dueed  by  new  scenes— Evening  rambles— Mutual  attaohinent— The 
dawning  of  light— Ita  effect  upon  Fietro  and  Alice— Their  convena- 
tion  and  resolution. 

Tbb  nun,  -whom  the  Father  (General  had  fonnd  in  a  eonrent  in 
Ganada,  and  brought  to  New  York,  to  personate  the  deceased 
Sister  Theresc^  was  the  daughter  of  Colonel  Soule,  a  French  offi* 
cer  of  distinction,  who  had  been  killed  in  a  duel,  near  Montreal; 
and  whose  widow  had  placed  the  youn^;  Alice,  then  only  five 
years  old,  in  the  care  of  the  Abbess,  while  sheTetumed  to  France, 
to  see  after  her  husband's  property.  The  French  Revolution  had, 
in  the  meantime,  broken  out,  and  Madame  Soule  died,  a  pray  to 
anxiety  and  grief.  The  or|)baued  Alice  had,  therefore,  ftrown'^up 
in  the  couveot,  without  having  ever  been  outside  of  its  walls  from 
flie  day  upon  which  she  entered  them,  until  that  when,  in  com- 
vany  with  the  Father  General,  she  had  started  for  the  city : — she 
having  previously  passed  her  novitiate,  and  been>«  nuu  for  some 
two  years. 

It  IS  not  to  be  wondered  at,  therefore,  that,  when  this  young 
ereature,  inheriting  all  the  vivacity  of  the  French  character,  and 
trained  amid  the  gloom  and  monotony  of  conventual  scenes,  was 
placed,  wholly  inexperienced,  in  the  midst  of  a  large  and  crowd- 
ed city,  like  New  York,  full  of  novel  sixhts,  which  excited  her 
onriosity  and  called  into  active  exercise  her  ardent  imagination, 
with  what  she  saw  and  heard  around  her  contrasted  so  strangely 
with  the  austere  aspect  of  things  as  they  existed  io  the  prison- 
house  in  which  she  had  been  reared,  she  should  be  fascinated  with 
ttie  new  world  into  which  she  had  been  so  suddenly  ushered,  and 
should  look  forward,  with  dread,  to  the  period  of  her  return  to 
that  living  tomb.  Especially  is  not  this  to  be  wondered  at,  when 
it  is  remembered  that  her  Cicerone  was  a  young  and  handsome 
Italian,  of  noble  family ;  whose  accomplished  manners  and  whose 
brilliant  talents  had,  at  first,  been  employed  to  win  from  her  all 
•he  knew  in  reference  to  the  plot  of  the  General ;  but  which  had 
accomplished  results,  to  both,  but  little  dreamed  of  by  either ; 
for  he  had  awakened  feelings  in  her  mind,  to  which  she  had  hi* 
therto  been  a  stranger ;  while,  in  his  turn,  he  felt  that  the  flame 
which  he  had  kindled  in  her  bosom,  burned  also  in  his  own. 

Indeed,  the  circumstances  of  these  two  young  persons  were 
somewhat  similar ;  for  he  had  been  placed,  for  family  reasons, 
ail  a  very  tender  age,  in  a  monastery  at  Borne  ;   and  had  bean 


132 


syBiflfus  or  %  unEfuii 


•d««atid  wliollj within  its  wa]k» in aU  the.  anlilM 9»A\Mm 
oi  the  jMoiti,  ntttil,  ditoomring  p«eali«r  ^]0nt  for  intrigao,M 
kwl«  at  thr  as*  of  ^enty  thXM  Tean,  been  seleoted  by  the  hMd 
of  the  order  thete.  an^  tent  to  this  oountry,  in  oompauy  with  flie 
Leffste  en  his  visit  of  installation,  as  priTste  seocetary  to  the  Ks- 
tber  (General ;  for  the  double  purpose  of  actiog  as  a  spy  upon  flke 
movements  of  the  latter,  and  of  obliging  the  rioh  and  powerful 
family  of  the  Lodetti,  who  had  their  own  reasons  lor  desiring 
Ikat  Pietro  should  h'  removed  as  far  from  them  as  pospiue. 
Since  his  arrival  in  the  United  SUtes,  he  had,  as  a  qniok  observer 
and  an  intelligent  ^scosoner.  aoquirsd  new  views  of  men  and 
thipgs.  Life  prena  W  itself,  to  his  mind,  in  an  entirely  novel 
aspect;  andheoegaa  secretly  to  form  conclusions,  e^cn  to  prp^ 
ject  plans,  which  startled  himselt  accustomed  has  he  had  been 
inrbviously  to  a  blind  submission  to  the  will  of  his  Superiors,  and 
io  have  his  thoughts  take  their  complexion  from  the  colouring  of 
those  who  had  assumed  to  thiuk  for  him.  Tot  the  very  novdt/ 
and  daring  of  these  new  conceptions  had  a  peculiar  oham  for  his 
excitable  and  naturally  enterprising  disposition,  and  were,  there* 
lore,  readily  indulged  by  him.  « 

If,  then,  Alice  felt  like  a  bird  let  loose,  for  the  Qrst  time  from  a 
cage  in  which  it  had  been  raised,  and  'disposed  to  soar  aloft  into 
the  blue  ether,  upon  those  pinions  which  hitherto  had  heated  in 
▼a*.n  against  its  prison  bars;  his  feelings  resembled  those  of  oqa 
who.  Milt  np  from  infancy  in  the  dark  cavern,  by  and  by  emor- 

Cie  upon  ftwa  fields,  lit  up  by  the  gladsome  sunshine;  and,  i||. 
r  sti.udiug  for  a  time,  gazing  in  mute  amaxement  upon  tiw 
Ireshly  developed  beautiee  of  nature,  at  length  longs  to  roam  ov«r 
fbese  fields,  aud  become  better  acquainted  with  those  beauties* 

l^eir  rambleb  through  the  dty,  by  night,  had  served  to  attach 
the?e  two  beings  to  each  other,  in  strong  and  mjrstic  ties  i-Aka 
stroogsrbaoause  they  had  became  mutually  acquainted  wltheaib 
other's  history ; ,  and  their  souls  so  mingled  in  sympathv  and  in- 
fection, ttiat  thoir  confidence  was  peri!ect~no  thouijht  whiflh 
q>raug  up  iu  tho  mind  of  the  one,  being  held  back  frem  the  other* 

During  one  of  these  excursions,  tliey  ba|>pened  to  pass  neox  a 
Protestant  ehufoh,  in  which  the  regular  night  service  was  oon- 
ducted.  PrcMnpted  by  curiosity,  they  entered,  and  took  their 
seats  in  the  first  pew  they  came  to.  Hera,  unobserved  themeel- 
ves,  because  seated  in  the  rear  of  the  eutire  congregation,  they 
looked  with  deep  interest,  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives,  upon 
the  riiople  form  of  religious  service— so  plain,  so  fervant,  so  ra- 
tional ;-4tod  could  not  help  contrasting  it  wim  the  complex  and 
pompous  ceremonial  of  their  own  church ;  and,  when  the  ounis- 
ter  arose,  and  in  earnest  tones  gave  out  his  text — "  Te  shall  know 
the  truth;  and  tha truth  shall  make  you  free;"— they  listennd 
with  rapt  attention  to  his  delineation  of  true  spiritual  freedom, 
the  means  by  whieh  it  is  attuned,  and  the  result  of  this  freedom, 
to  the  individual,  the  nation,  the  world  at  large.  Asthey  lisfaM- 
ed,  new  views  of  human  rights,  of  human  happiness,  of  divine 
truth,  all  consonant  as  they  were  with  right  reason,  sprang  up  in 
their  minds,  and  placed  themselves  in  striking  opposition  to  tim 
dogmas  in  which  they  had  been  instructed,  and  the  slavery,  m«i* 
tal,  moral,  and  physical,  in  whioh  they  had  been  hitbeBto  h^d. 
They  felt  as  did  the  monk  of  EinlAben,  when  he  lonnd  the  Imw 
seleoted  Latin  mtifg  of  the  Ho^  Seri|pftun^  la  Iha  ]£bmiv  of  Jbtt 


,>i. 


ft*?. 


th«lMid 

wlthlb* 

othaV*- 

apoo|^ 

daaiipg 


obaanrar 
men  Mid 

atoproH* 
wd  been 
ion,  and 
taring  of 
'  noTdity 
Blbrhu 
le,  there* 

efromn 
lolt  into 
leateilui 
leof  (Mie 
lyemer- 
«»d,e|- 
iponUw 
am  over 
putiee,. 
>»tte«* 
»:— die 
itheeeh 
•nde|« 
i  wl|i<di 
eotheir^ 
neeva 
Moon- 
>k  their 


Q, they 
■.npoi 
>8oni- 
es»nd 
flunie- 
I  know 
ieteood 
aedon, 
eodom, 
listen. 
diniM 
rap  in 
to  the 


«fSIBMi  m  ft  tmnfm 


DheU. 


col 


dMid, while leedinff it,  •* hie Honl kindled wiUii 
«lknM  hemw  howtmth  bad  been  wronged  1^  ignorant  piefy 
Ikno  nypoocitioel  iniidelity."  And  ae  oontaot  with  the  opiaione 
of  freemen,  who  r.ega»l*^,  Uberty  ae  their  birthright^  had  indaoed 
teinione  and  feeliuge  in  the  minds  of  those  who,  under  the  lead- 
fSg  of  La  I'ayetto  and  his  gallant  associates,  had  crossed  the  broad 
▲uentie  to  sm  the  ^ooloniee  in  America  in  achioTuig  their  liber- 
liee,— wJ^eh  had  led  to  the  attempt— nnsnccassfnl  tbounh  it  waa 
— lo  aooomplish  the  same  result  in  France,  on  their  return  home, 
r-eo,  in  refeienoe  to  the  yountr  secretary  and  Alios,  tiiey  felt  Uiat 
ih^  birthright  had  been  withheld  from  them  and,  that  Qod  and 
man  would  Justify  the  eflFort  to  secure  ito  restoration. 

The  eenrioe  concluded,  the  secretary  and  his  oomnanion  left  the 
^nrdif  and  directed  their  stops  towards  Mr.'  Wihnofs;— 
walking  slowly,  for  their  minds  were  busy  with  the  solution  of 

Kblems  which  had  been  presented  to  them,  for  the  firet  time^ 
t  night.  At  length,  the  former  said  to  Alice,  in  tones  whidi 
indicated  deep  thought,  as  well  as  honest  couTictica ; 

**  Alios,  we  have  been  asleep.  Immured  witbin  oonventnal 
walla,  we  had  no  knowledge  of  tbts  existence  of  auy  other  world 
ttian  thiNt  we  found  around  us.  Instructed  in  the  dogmas  of 
the  Oatholic  Church,  we  haTc  been  tought  to  belicTe  that  all  be- 
ridee  is  hereqr,— damnable  doctrine,  unworthy  of  our  belief,  and 
inpulting  to  HeaToo,  as  irell  as  destructive  of  the  souL  But  we 
haTe  awaked  to  find  that  there  is  a  populous  world  outside  of  the 
aniorooosm  in  which  we  hare  been  reared ;— a  populous  world, 
irhose  inlwbitonto  enjoy  life,  and  liberty,  under  the  benign  iniln* 
•nee  of  a  religion  which  is  simple  iu  ita  forms,  but  which  appeare 
mighty  in  ite  effecto ;  a  reliKiou  embraced  by  millions,  and  which 
net  once  dignifying  to  man,  since  it  frees  him  from  tyranny; 
ind  honoureble  to  Ood,  sinoe  it  representa  him  notaaenslaT* 
ing  the  mind  and  heart  of  man,  but  as  the  great  deliverer  from 
fhraldom.  I  feel  that  I  have  awaked  to  a  new  existence :  me> 
thinks  I  breathe  a  purer  atmosphere  than  I  did  in  Bome.  I  am  a 
freeman  1    How  is  it  with  thee,  dearest  Alice  P" 

**  Fietro,  I  feel  strange  ■"—replied  Alice,  while  her  roice  trem- 
bled with  emotion.  *'  I  do  not  kuow  what  to  think,  nor  what  to 
say.  I  am  bewildered,  *Te shall  know  the  truth;  and  tho 
truth  shall  make  you  free.'  Pietro,  what  is  truth  P" 

*'  Truth,  iu  the  abstract,  Alice,  is  accordance  with  fact  and  i'eal- 
ity.  Moral  truth  must  be  iu  conformity  with  the  character  and 
Will  of  Him  who  is  the  great  Moral  (Jovemor  of  the  world :— the 

EBat  moral  principles  laid  down  by  Him  for  man's  government, 
ding  their  developemtvut  in  the  administration  of  diriue  grace 
and  providence,  altimat;iug  in  the  retributions  of  Eternity,  and 
justified  by  the  results,  i  i  the  sight  of  men,  of  augds,  and  of  de- 
Tile.  Ton  and  1^  Alice,  have  been  teught  to  believe  that  the  truth 
is  alone  to  be  found  within  tbe  pale  of  Holy  Mothei  Ghurch : 
but,  if  so,  how  is  this  assertit  a  to  be  reconciled  with  the  ooirupt 
and  tyrannical  practices  of  the  cLurch ;  where  is  the  accordance 
between  the  revealed  character  of  Jehovah,  and  the  grand  dis- 
tinctive features  of  Catholicism,  and  what,  l  begin  to  fear,  areito 
direct  and  necessary  tendencies  P  Where  is  the  accordant  truth 
■v<4his  freedom  of  which  we  have  heard,  to-uig|it  for  the  firrt 
tbne  iii  all  our  livee  P  We  have  hitherto  seen  neither.  .  On  the 
aouftraiy,  we  havelieen  taoght  that  tha  very  eaecnee  oi  onr  wlt» 


.^:^-'^^^^- 


W^:. 


of  a  &2,T8nt 


^Um  oondilad  ia  ralnniwioa  to  ih«  will  of  oar  tapooAen,  mi4  fil 
oar  r«Ugf<  ills  Towf  of  poverty,  ohMtity,  and  obemeBOo;r-wluflli 
■ooth  to  MT,  leem  to  be  aolemn  mockeriei  in  tfio  ettioiitioii  qI 
thoto  to  T-iiom  we  made  them:  if,  indeed,  we  are  to  ooneld# 
their  Utm  m  oommentariee  ni;on  their  principles— we  h!»^ :» iie#n 
led  to  ■nrrep:2er  onrselyea,  body,  loul,  and  spirit,  to  tbc:i'  ?o  itrw^. 
I  Tory  muoh  fear  that  tlm  dogmas  of  our  choroh  are  ia(}ap?.b?^  d( 
beariuff  the  test  of  truth ;  and  I  long  to  share  that  li.'>(:'rty  ^;  Urn 
seems  to  be  the  birthrigbn  of  man.  and  to  be  so  largely  eujcfttd 
by  the  people  in  vi^'tose  m^dst  our  lot  hu^  been  so  stnur^aiy  tuu, 
I  fear  that  I  am  fast  beooQiing  an  heretic ;  bui  I  oannot  help  it.'* 

**  It  is  stran(id|  Fietro,  that  I  have  m«}  oU  the  s»me  thotiKhts  and 
lsaUn(*s :  and  it  is  passing  etrange,  an  yon  say.  how  ve  haTebeen^ 
thrown  into  this  new  world  of  thought  &  id  feeling;,  of  freedom 
and  happiness.  Ton  must  inntruot  me,  Pietro  ;  I  koow  not  how 
to  bring  my  little  bark  to  i^hore,  from  ttie  XBiidat  of  the  billows 
which  arise  tumultuouslv  around  me." 

••  I  will.  Alice,  with  all  my  heait."— replied  Fi«trc.      **  Bui,"- 
contioued  he,  taking  her  hand  in  his,  and  pref  f>ing  it  tecvi^rly. 
wbila  he  i^pcke  in  soft,  yet  distinct  tones,  which  thrilled  tbio  ign 
bet  womi*''  ?  heert,  pulsatinft  as  it  did  in  eyery  throb  for  him,  and 
'^  pr .  Tttise  mi}.  Alice,  that,  in  good  or  ill,  in  weal'or 


icijc: 


for  him  ali  . 

woe,  whateT6i  maj  be  cur  future  lot,  our  lives  and  oiir  fate  shall 

be  one  and  in>>i;'  ruble, — that  we  shall  never  be  separated." 

**  Nevfif'!'"— vxi  t  Alioej  clinging  to  his  arm,  and  looking  np  in* 
to  l»ia  i&i.ie,  with  a  countenance  which  was  suffused  with  the  blush 
of  matii^u  modesty,  but  which  spoke  the  deep  trust  of  her  soul, 
and  the  flrmuess  of  her  decision. 

**  Heaven  bless  thee,  dearest  Alice,  for  that  word.  Kow  will  I 
protect  thee  with  my  life,!  and  lead  you,  as  best  I  may,  to  the  en- 
joyment of  that  liberty  for  which  we  both  pant.  The  vows  that 
we  madti,  were  made  in  ignorance ;  they  must  be.  displeasing  to 
God,  because  evidently  repugnant  to  the  triith  of  things.  He 
will  absolve  ue  t  and  lus  truth  will  make  us  free  firom  the  tyranny 
of  man.  All  will  be  right,  Alice.  Trust,  and  be  prudent.  Let 
oe  bide  our  time.    We  shall  yet  be  free  !" 

Be  bad  become  so  much  excited,  while  uttering  the  last  few 
words,  that  his  voice  was  raised  to  a  pitch  which  would  have  en* 
dangered  their  safety,  had  auy  prying  one  been  nigh ;  but  fortun- 
ately none  observed  the  interesting  pair,  or  heard  the  words  of 
treason  against  the  interests  of  Rome,  save  the  loved  one  to  whom 
they  were  addressed,  and  the  Oreat  Being  who  bad  witnessed  the 
pliRhtiug  of  their  troth,  and  who  doubtless  approved  the  act,  not- 
withstanding the  vows  which  they  had  made  to  the  Holy  Mother 
Ohuroh,  iu  ignorance  and  in  superstition. 

They  ooon  reached  Mr.  Wilmot's  door ;  and,  as  they  stood  a  mo- 
ment, uefore  parting  for  the  night,  Pt^itrc  saia  to  Alice; 

*'  It  seems  to  me  that  we  both  need' a  guide  in  our  new  situa- 
tion, as  regards  both  our  position  to  the  church,  and  our  inquiry 
after  truth ;  and,  as  I  have  no  longer  any  confidence  in  our  old 
ones,  which  serve  but  to  bewilder  and  mislead  us,  I  shall,  on  t6- 
morrow,  procure  a  copy  of  the  Protestant  Bible,  and  read  it  for 
myself.  I  shall  also  get  a  copy  for  jon,  Alice,  and  brinfr  it  wijUi 
•me,  when  next  I  come.  Meanwhilej,  we  will  come  to  visit  that 
Fkotestant  church,  every  Thursday  night,  where  we  heard  sucAi 
Vbiagit,  this  evening.     Farewell,  dearest— be  pradeni^  and  look  l» 


MystsridB  of  a  OoDTflftti 


m 


Am  OfMt  Sooroe  of  Light,  Life,  and  lAhntj,  for  hdp  and  lok  gaido 
inoo.    Qood  night." 

80  nyiag,  ho  turned  away,  while  Alioe  eonght  her  room,  and. 
kneelin((  down,  not  in  prayer,  as  usaal,  to  Mary— **  the  refa^  of 
•InnenT'— hut  to  /fuii,  who  it  *'  <A«  loay,  and  the  fy^Uh^  and  th$ 
tt/r"  ehe  poured  out  her  soul  in  devout  supplioattou  that  Ha 
Would  lead  them  into  an  acquaintance  with  the  way  of  aalf  atioii« 
and  guide  tham  in  their  preient  difficult  oircumetanoee. 


// 


I 

r 


OHAFTEBXXIV. 

Aliee^elgnoruieeofthe  true  nature  of  the  plot  ihewae  eofagedfai— R« 
anxiety  on  that  account— Her  determination  io  act  rignt--Arrival  eff 
Mr.  Prenties— Alioe'e  perturbation  and  alarm  in  coniequence  -  Her  ia> 
terriew  with  Mr.  Preniisir— Alice  divulges  the  partioulan  to  Mr.  Prenp 
tiaa^Uia  astonishment  at  the  recital— iiia  determination  to  befriend 
▲lice— Escape  of  Pietro  and  Alice. 

Tbbxb  months  had  now  passed  since  Alice  had  written  the  letter 
to  the  south,  in  the  name  of  Emilie  de  Yere,  which  had  been  dio> 
tated  to  her  in  the  name  of  the  Father  General.  Mr.  Wilmot,  tf 
he  knew  anything  of  her  intimacy  with  the  secretary,  said  no- 
thing about  it ;  and  the  latter,  together  with  Alice,  was  almoet 
ready  to  make  a  public  recantation  of  .Roman  Catholicism,  and 
to  profess  the  Protestant  faith,  when  a  circumstance  occurred. 
Which  placed  her  in  an  exceedingly  embarrassing  situation,  ana 
had  like  to  have  ruined  the  plot  of  the  Jesuit,  ere  yet  it  had  ma* 
tared. 

Alios,  on  being  brought  to  New  York,  had  been  told  that,  fox 
reasons  which  iuvolyed  the  interests  of  the  order,  and  which  it 
was  not  necessary  she  should  then  be  made  acquainted  with,  she 
was  to  personate  Emilie  de  Yere,  a  youug  girl,  who  moM  about 
her  own  age,  height,  complexion,  so. ;  whose  father  was  a  Mr. 
Oharles  de  Yere,  formerly  a  resident  of  New  York  city,  ^'ut,  for 
some  years,  of  the  parish  of  B4ton  Bouge,  iu  Louisiana,  a  wealthy 
^nter ;  and  whose  mother  had  been  dead  for  many  years.  She 
was  further  told  that  the  part  which  she  was  expected  to  act, 
from  time  to  time,  would  be  communicated  to  her,  as  it  became 
neoessary,  and  that  she  was  on  no  account  to  take  any  step^  or  to 
answer  any  questions,  beyond  what  was  stated  to  her,  without 
leave  and  instructions  from  the  Father  General.  The  part  whioh 
•be  had  acted  before  the  mayor's  court,  had  all  been  arranged  for 
her  beforehand,  and  the  very  language,  as  far  as  practicable,  dic- 
tated to  her ;  as  the  General  had  anticipated,  to  some  extent,  the 
course  which  things  would  take  under  his  direction,  aided  by  hia 
accomplice,  Mr.  Wilmot. 

At  that  time,  she  nevoi4Sreamed,  for  a  moment,  that  she  had  a 
will'  of  her  own,  or  that  it  would  be  anything  short  of  perdition 
for  her  to  question  the  right  of  her  superiors,  whenever  required 
to  do  their  bidding.  She  was  a  mere  automaton,  moved  as  thev 
might  pleaee.  But  now  that  new  light  had  broken  into  her  son^ 
and  that  she  had  acquired  new  views  of  her  rights  and  duties  as 
an  accountable  moral  agent,  who  owed  an  allegiance  to  high  hea- 
ven, paramount  to  any  that  she  was  under  to  any  earthly  power, 
Jiba  lelt  aioewdingly  distressed  at  the  part  that  sha  had  aotisd  haff- 


li 


IQnrtiorfflB  oft  OmifBiit 


t? 


toiWfls  whi  fcMiiy.fct<rwhal  toatw  to  adopt  fat  !>■  i^lmm  A^ 
bad  eontttlted  freely  with  Pietro  upon  the  iabjeel  |  Imt  bo  Ml 
bitDMlf  wboUy  iDOompetent  to  sdviM  her.  II  the  WvMit  lonraid 
to  the  mayor,  and  oonfeMed  to  him  the  troth,  her  lenMV  Mtittg 
in  the  Murt  which  she  had  played  before  him,  w^vld  oomae  him  ttt 
•otpect  her  aiooerity  now,  and  might  plaoe  her  in  eiittuaMtaneaV' 
of  aanger  to  her  peraonal  liberty :  lor  be  would  probably  rafptri^ 
her  as  iniane ;  oonsider  the  idea  of  inaauity.  aa  fonaerly  aet  «a^ 
and  diareirarded  throuRh  the  teatimony  of  the  ezamiDine>phTai« 
eiana,  aa  oeiofc  founded  in  fact ;  and  order  her  to  be  returned  to 
the  Father  General,  who  r'ca\d  not  fail  to  inflict  moat  aoTaia 
pniiisbment  upon  her,  while  Pietro  would  be  in  no  aituation  to 

Erotect  her.  Once  in  the  power  of  the  Qeneral,  and  ahe  knew 
er  aeparation  from  Pietro  would  be  final  and  for  ever.  8ht  ' 
could  not  <ionanlt  with  Mr.  Wilmot ;  for  he  waa  but  the  cNptnre 
of  the  Oenend.  She  could  not  throw  heraelf  upon  the  merey  d 
the  latter,  and  bes  him  to  procure  the  aenricea  of  iome  one  elae 
in  the  deception  in  which  ahe  waa  made  to  bear  a  oonanionouf 
part,  for  thia  would  enrage  him,  and  aeparateher  IromPietrO; 
riuce  ahe  would  be  inatanllv  aent  back  to  the  convent;  and  ah# 
dreaded  the  fate  that  would  await  her  there.  "  PeilHHm^"  thoothl 
[die,  ignorant  of  the  magnitude  of  the  plot  in  which  tk^  waa  m* 
▼olTed — "  perhapa,  after  all,  it  may  be  a  email  affair,  and  that  1 
may  haye  but  little  more  to  do  with  it.  I  muat  bide  my  time,«p4 
aet  aa  cironmstancea  may  require.  I  will  not,  if  I  can  help  it,  «il 
dishoueatiyi    Qod  help  me  to  do  right." 

That  prayer,  though  but  an  ejaculation,  waa  made  in  rineeaittpi^  . 
and  waa  heard  in  hearen.    Ood  did  help  her,  and  did  rewaai  hei 
lor  daring,  novice  aa  she  waa  in  ethics,  to  do  what  her  conadonia 
approTed,  in  apite  of  the  diffleultiea  which  aurrounded  her. 

While  aittiDg  in  her  room,  one  morning,  reading  the  Proleetaaft> 
Bible  which  ^etro  had  giyen  her,  with  her  door  loekad^  leel^ 
though  in  1i  prof eaaedly  Protestant  family,  her  aecret  dioald^bai 
betrayed  to  the  Jeauit  General,  a  gentle  rap  aiinouneed  thataom* 
one  wanted  her.  Hastily  concealing  the  bleaaed  volume  wUch 
bad  alreadygiren  her  moral  courage  aa  well  aa  moral  fMedmoi 
ahe  opened  the  door,  and  waa  aurpriaed  to  aee  Mr.  Wihnot  hiaS* 
aelf  atandins  there,  who  informed  her  that  a  Mr.  ihnnt»«9^  of 
Louisiana,  desired  to  aee  her  in  the  parlour. 

'* I  suspect,"  he  added,  "that  it  is  aomeone  connected  with 
that  bnsiuesa  of  yours  in  the  aouth,  from  a  qneatioa  or  twotimt 
he  asked  of  me." 

Alice  felt  her  beart  beating  violently  within  her  bieaat,  and  aa  tf 
ahe  were  aboutto  suffocate ;  but  suddenly,  and  with  great  effoit, 
rallying  herself,  she  informed  Mr.  Wilmot  that  ahe  would  bo  ia 
the  parlour  in  a  few  minutes,  and  turned  to  her  toilet,  aaif  toad*^ 
just  her  dress.  As  soon,  however,  as  Le  had  dobod  the  door,  aaA 
gone  down  stairs  with  bis  niessaKC,  sbtl  burst  into  a  flood  oiteara^ 
and,  tbrowiug  herself  upon  her  kaees,  for  a  moment  or  two.  ear- 
neatly  implored  guidance  and  help  from  on  high.  Then,  anaiu^ 
and  bathing  her  eyea^  ahe  arranged  her  hair,  and  went  down  w- 
the  parlour. 

On  her  entrance  into  this  room,  ahe  saw,  aeated  upon  tiioaolli, 
a  venerable-looking  gentleman,  of  aome  fifty-five  yean  olafe^  '^ 
terj  genteelly  drenad  in  a  full  suit  of  black— hia  oountesiaikee  «■• 
ptMaive  •!  once  of  iutelleot  and  of  great  benignitj^.    Btsii^  from 


I 


t 


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will 

to 


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8ho' 
wptara 

oeftlit 
iooona 
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Ddlk* 

louffkl 
that  I 

it,«il 

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DdhtV 


ildbS 


rhieh 
idoaik 

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With 

tha* 

I  Mil 

ffoit, 

»ad» 
aod 

ear- 

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nto 

ofa. 


•W 


j||iHnfli  Oi  ft  iniiPSBL  Mi 

Ml  iMl^  M  lUw  MtiNd  iteiwMi*  ht  AdTMiflad  to  SMl  bir»  Mi^ 
mb  •  BMBMr  fall  ol  wapathy  for  on*  whom  k,  '<oohti  •«»«■ 
ItefitliBollioiidiboppraMioiifheMid' 

-**!  iMMTO  tbt  ploMura,  I  pnanne,  of  taUag  bj  flio  haad  Iht 
dtmfktivef  BiTmaoh-attaemadfriandtCharloodaYan.  LataM 
MMUt  yoo.  If M  Emilia,  for  that  I  belioTa  is  yow  naoM,  that  tt 
affords  laa  great  satisfaction  to  saa  yoa  tooking  ao  wait,  aad  to 
MMhgoodhaalth."  •  ^ 

Thoa  sayittg*  and  shakisf  her  aost  cordially  1^  tha  band,  Iw 
lad  har,  with  tha  iaishad  manuers  of  a  polished  gantlamao,  to  a 
iaat  OB  tha  sofa ;  and  thai,  seating  himself  near  her,  autered  into 
aoAvarsation  with  h6r,  as  co  the  dronmstanoea  whitdi  had  pratraol- 
ad  him  from  soouer  paying  a  visit  to  her.  Ha  waa  surprisad  to 
ftad,  however,  that  s^o  waa  esceediugly  bashfnl  and  reserved; 
that  her  colour  came  aad  went  with  fitful  frequeney ;  and  that 
there  waa  something  about  her  whole  deuortmeut,  which  seeiaed 
to  bim  aingttUr.  Tet,  reoollectiog  that  she  had  been  reared  in  a 
convent,  had  been  for  some  time  a  nun,  and  was  now  a  ref ugaa 
from  its  wallL  he  felt  diaposed,  in  the  kindness  of  bis  heart,  to 
atteibttto  it  all  to  the  peat,  and  to  aooouot  for  it  on  tha  score  of 
tha  aoenea  which  she  must  have  passed  through,  on  her  abaodoo- 
toantirf  a  conventual  life;  Mr.  Wilmot  having  painted  to  bin, 
while  waiting  for  Alice,  in  very  florid  colours,  her  arrival  at  bia 
houee  at  night,  the  assembling  of  the  mob,  the  nest  morning  tbe 
visit  to  the  mayor's  office,  aud  the  result— tiding  caia  to  repaa* 
aaot  himself  iu  the  most  favourable  light  possible. 

Mm,  Wilmot  having  left  the  parlour  a  few  memento  after  AUea 
bad  entered  it,  Mr.  Prentiss  exerted  himself  to  place  Alice  at  her 
ease  with  him,  preparatory  to  couvernng  with  her  upon  busiueev; 
but,  finding  this  impossible,  and  that  every  effort  aeemed  to  agi- 
tato her  the  more — ^oc  said  to  her, 

<*Tour  letter  addressed  to  your  father,  MlasAailie^  waa  reoelv* 
ad  to  due  time,  but  was  not  read  by  him.  He  had  made  his  wiU, 
and  entruatsd  his  business  to  me,  as  bis  ezeeutoi;  He  waa  dead." 

Here  Alice's  feelings  completely  overcame  her  with  shame  at 
toa  part  aha  was  called  upon  to  act ;  and  she  weptfrosly.  Thiafc» 
ing  this  Bwst  natural,  under  the  oircumstamcw^  Mr.  Prentiss 
paocaeded  ■■ 

«« Do  not  weep,  my  dear  Miss  Emilia,  so  bitterly.  Ton'4iava 
evarv  raaaon  to  comfort  yourself.  Altiiough  your  letter  did  not 
raacb  your  father,  in  tiaie  to  assure  him  of  your  recantation  of 
Bomsn  Oatholicism,  and  desire  to  return  to  hin^  atiU  he  loved 
you  very  dearly,'  aud  felt  assured  of  your  affection  for  bim,  toi 
s^ito  of  tha  past.  He  regarded  the  steps  that  yoa  had  taken,  to 
becMning  a  nuu,  as  the  result  of  deception  upon  the  part  of  tha 
Mother  Superior  of  the  convent,  or  on  that  of  soma  of  tne  priesta; 
a»d,  although  he  bitterly  regretted  it,  yet  he  died  at  peace  with 
TOO,  and,  m  proof  of  this,  made  you  his  sole  legatee,  on  couditioa 
uat  you  would  renounce  Bomauiam,  aud,  forsakiug  the  ooaveut^ 
cease  to  be  a  nun.  His  estate  amounto  to  something  mora  than 
ha  ^  a  million  of  dollara.  Your  letter  informs  ma  that  the  coa- 
dition  had  been  complied  with,  before  'you  became  aware  of  its 
existencel  yon  are,  toerefore,the  nndispnted  posaessorof  thia 
v»st  fortane— and  will  enter  upon  ito  enjoyment  aa  soon  aa  soasa 
tacbnicalities  of  the  law  can  be  complied  with,  which  will  requba 
bfvt  a  bxtof  dala^.    Meanwbilc^  as  I  preaame  yoa  maj  want  soni» 


n 


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XyiteileB  of  a  Onmni 


%. 


fondf  for  imntdUto  qm,  I  ihftU  hvr*  «h«  plMMUt  of  baadhif  jpa 
a  thouMnd  dollars,  wbioh  I  b«Te  brottRbt  with  ne  for  that  pitr- 
poM.  The  rtlatioDS  of  friendthip  in  which  I  havo  stood  to  your 
father,  and  the  attitude  in  which  I  stand  to  theesUte,  and  to  your- 
Mlf  as  the  heiress  of  its  wealth,  will  warrant  me  in  tenderTng  to 
yott  my  serTioee,  as  a  protector,  nntil  you  shall  baT«  mada  aooh 
other  arrangements  as  you  may  please." 

So  saying,  the  old  gentleman '  drew  from  the  breast>pook«t  of 
bis  coat,  a  large  pooliet  book,  and  was  about  to  take  from  it  tba 
thousand  dollars,  when,  to  his  utter  astonishment,  she  threw  bar* 
■elf  upon  ber  knees  before  him,  and,  while  the  tears  ran  down 
bar  cheeks,  begged  him  to  take  {dty  upon  one  who  was  an  orphan, 
indeed,  but  not  the  one  he  took  her  for,  and  to  promise  her  upon 
bis  word  of  honour,  as  a  Ohristian  man  and  a  gentleman,  that  b» 
would  not  dimlge,  to  a  living  being,  what  she  wae  about  to  re- 
late to  him. 

The  old  man  looked  upon  the  beautiful  girl,  kneeling  thertt  ba* 
fore  him,  with  a  heart  full  of  compassion ;  ana  anauainted,  as  bt 
bad  been  for  Tery  many  years  past,  as  aprutising  lawyer  <a  great 
ability,  with  almost  all  grades  and  phiises  of  human  crime,  and 
to  look  upon  the  faces  of  timid,  as  well  a^  of  undaunted,  roguea 
and  criminals  of  both  sexes,  he  had  become  a  most  excellent  Jodfs 
of  human  character.  He  read  guilt  and  self-condemnation  In  ber 
countenance,  and  yet,  at  the  same  time,  the  eyideuce  of  oontrl* 
tion;  and  wholly  unable  to  account  for  what  was  transpiring  be- 
fore him,  jb|S  lifted  the  kneeling  girl  to  her  seat,  and,  making  ber 
the  required  promise,  requested  her  to  relate  her  storv;  assuring 
ber  that  he  would  befriend  her,  whumsoeTer  ehe  might  be,  if  ba 
oould  do  so  consistently  with  the  dictates  of  honour. 

Thus  reassured,  and  now  throwing  off  that  restraint  and  pain* 
f  nl  embarrassment  which  she  had  exhibited  at  the  commenoa- 
meut  of  this  interview,  and  while  hesitating  at  the  course  that 
she  ous[ht  to  pursue,  but  which  disappeared  when  the  victory  waa 
determined  for  conscience — Alice  proceeded  to  tell  Mr.  Prentiss 
all  that  had  transpired,  so  far  as  she  was  oouoerned  with  the  affair 
of  the  substitution  of  herself  for  Emilie  de  Yere,  from  the  mo- 
ment of  her  iirst  introduction  to  the  Father  (General,  in  the  parw 
lour  of  the  convent  in  Canada,  up  to  that  moment ;  assuring  him, 
however,  that,  until  that  late  hour,  she  never  knew  why  she  was 
required  to  personate  Miss  de  Yere,  nor  who  she  was ;  much  leea 
that  she  was  heiress  to  a  large  estate,  and  that  she,  Alice,  was  to 
be  made  the  instrument  of  getting  this  estate  into  the  nanda  of 
the  Jesuits. 

Mr.  Prentiss  was  thunderstruck.  I  He  was  a  Protestant,  from 
principle,  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  His  feelings 
were  averse  to  Bomauiam ;  but  that  so  darius  a  plot  should  hav^ 
been  concocted  in  the  midst  of  an  enlightened  people,  involving 
an  immense  property,  and  should  have  come  so  nigh  succeedinff. 
for  he  could  not  doubt,  for  a  moment,  that  the  witnesses  were  mi 
provided  to  establish  the  identity  of  Emilie  de  Yere  in  the  pre- 
tended Alice ;  that  this  damning  proof  of  the  hish-handed  wick- 
edness of  the  Jesuits  should  stare  him  in  the  face,  there,  in  the 
Stat  city  of  New  York,  staggered  his  belief ;  and  ne  was  sJmort 
posed  to  look  upon  Alice  as  craxy,  or  as  attempting  to  deceiva 
him.  Bul^  when  be  looked  at  her  really  intelligent  countenance^ 
ai  it  now  beamed  with  honest  satisfaotioa— the  truth  having  boW 


/ . 


?ntjmi 

MtpttP- 

toyour 

tojour- 
•rinirto 

tdcmidi 

ook«t  of 

miteiiA 

•Mrh«N 

1  down 

orphkn. 

, 

urnpon 

ton. 

tMbe. 

I.M]|« 

»fgml 

•>  nnd 

«>««•• 

Jodflt 
in  her 

toniri- 

ogbe.               1 

>ff  h«r 

■arinff 

.  if  bo 

pain. 

lonoo- 

tbal 

ywas 

entiM 

affair 

•* 

mo* 

tpar- 
nim, 

)waa 

1  loM 

at  to 

daof               j 

brom 

lingt                 1 

bay^                 1 

< 

ving                  1 

sa 

S3 

the 

Boat 

aivo 

DOih 

«W 

XJ^BtefiM  of  ft  Gonrafti 

iolA ;— wIm^  ho  thonffbt  bow  ttr  ,.  itforward  tad  oonvidM  bit 
murratiTo,  and  that  ■ha  eoold  not  possibly  hava  any  intoraat  to 
■abterva,  whila  tbo  ran  a  graat  risk  in  Ibna  ooolldlrig  bar  otory 
to  a  ■tranKor,  who,  If  ba  wara  diiposed,  might  do  bar  vaat  Inlory ; 
ba  was  foroad  to  tha  oonTictioo  that  she  had  made  a  trathfui  oon* 
fiMlon  to  him  and  that  it  had-baooma  his  strango  prifilaga  to  lo<dE 
upon  ona  of  tha  dark  .plots  of  Roma. 

**  Tour  story/'  said  ba  to  Alioe,  "  shall  narar  pass  my  lips. 
But  what  do  yon  propose  to  do  P  If  I  can  baf  riand  yon,  and  I 
•aa  plain  enough  that  yon  stand  in  need  of  a  iriend,  I  promise  yon 
Id  do  so. 

**  Tour  frank  aTowal  of  this  plot,  so  far  as  yon  stand  oonneeted 
withit^^r  are  aware  of  its  f  eatares,  has  saved  yon,  my  ebild, 
from  Twy  serious  oonseqnenoes;  and  it  would  deeply  intereet  ma 
to  know  by  what  steps  you  haTobeen  led  to  adopt  theoonrsa 
whioh  you  nave  pursued.  But  for  this  we  bare  not  time.  Ton 
IHII  tell  me  that  the  Father  General  resides  in  the  oity,  and  that 
this  Wilmot,  with  whom  you  are  stayirjr,  is  a  oreature  of  his.  No 
doubt  he  is  already  apprised,  by  WUmot.  of  my  presenoe  here; 
and  he  will  be  anxious  to  know  the  result  of  the  interriew  be- 
tween us.  Tell  me.  haTo  you  no  friends  in  the  dty,  who  oonld 
ba  of  senrioe  to  you  in  this  extremity  P" 

**  I  huTe  but  one  friend,  sir,  in  this  world,  so  far  as  I  know,  ba- 
tidee  Tourself,  and  he  is  not  in  oircumstanoes  to  aid  me." 

**  Ah  I  who  is  he  P"  inquired  Mr.  Prentiss,  with  eagerness,  as 
ba  felt  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  ioterestiog  girl ;  and.  tha 
more  he  thought  about  it,  the  more  oertain  he  beaime  that  tha 
Jesuits  would  saorifloe  her  to  their  disappointed  aTarioe,  if  they 
■bould  disooTer  that  she  had  been  the  means  of  their  defeat. 
'  **  He  is  a  young  priest,'*  replied  Alioe,  '*  the  private  seoretary 
of  the  Father  General." 

*'  A  young  priest,  and  the  prlTata  seoretary  of  the  Father  Gen- 
aral  I"  repeated  Mr.  Prentiss,  with  astonishment  marked  in  his 
oounteoanoe  and  tone  of  roioe.  •  **  This  is  more  mysterioue  stiU. 
I  fear,  my  ohild,  that  you  are,  indeed,  hopelessly  entaufrled  in  tha 
ooils  of  the  wily  Jesuits.  Who  is  this  young  priest  P  Tell  me  all 
about  him— for  I  would  serre  you  if  I  can." 

Alice  then  related  all  that  has  been  detailed  to  tha  reader,  of  bar 
first  aoquaintauoe  with  the  seoretary— their  night  ramblee  about 
the  oity— the  effeot,  upon  both  their  minds,  of  whatthev  saw  aud 
beard— their  first  Tisit  to  the  Protesthnt  church,  and  toe  sermon 
they  had  heard — its  effects  upon  them ;  and  their  sabsequent 
study  of  the  holy  scriptures,  according  to  the  Protestart  version, 
and  subsequent  private  abnegation  of  Catholicism,  wish  the  de- 
termination of  making  public  profession  of  the  Protoctant  faith, 
on  a  convenient  oooasion,  and  their  betrothment  in  spite  of  their 
monastic  vows. 

<*  And  you  say,"  replied  Mr.  Prentiss,  "  tliat  you  and  yoar  yonng 
friend,  the  secretary,  only  await  a  convenient  opportunity  to  re- 
nounce the  Catholic  church,  and  to  get  married.  Well,  truth  is 
assuredly  stranger  than  fiction.  Here  is  a  villainous  plot  oon- 
oooted  by  this  Father  General  cf  the  order  of  Jesuits  in  the  Unit- 
ed States,  to  get  possession  of  an  immense  fortune  in  Louisiana, 
by  the  substitution  of  another  person  for  a  certain  nun,  in  order 
that  she  may  procure  that  fortune.  A  substitute  is  brought  all 
tbawa;jr  from  Canada  to  personate  tha*^  deceased  or  refnotox^ 


If 


190 


WpMlB  of  A  OoBfMk 


•  wlaltifom  pMii«f_iBto  tMkM 
tralh  Md  jutiM.  tnlf,  tUt  k 
i  th»t  niMb  ia  tiM  btftf^as.  And  m 


it  AtfeMOMMMMMiaMlrfiktadbtlNlhtdl*  tt»   A\^ 

siao«iiiiBirthiiroirB;  Md,  bv  «mm  of  thit  9onfmdom  htm 

WNT  to  tralh,  thto  t«7  MMtelt  hcvMU  dilMto  th«  plol,  by  M« 

▼••liBir  it.  Mid  Mvw  »•  wtalt  from  poMlaa  ioto  tho  kMOi  of 

tko  ooatpiHiton  ofoioit  1 

dorfal.     Tboro  !■  a  Qod 

tko  offain  of  tho  ohildron  of  moo. 

**I  am  not  woalthy."  ooBtinuod  Mr.  FrtstiM,  wbo  ■■■»■■,  .^ 
•ono  momouta.  to  bo  loat  in  doop  thought,  **but  yon  aro  bonaat 
ohild ;  and  I  thiok  that  yoa  and  thit  priatt-lovo  of  yonra  wovld 
doWyiPoUif  Toairorodoirnininyooantry.  Whataafyouto 
fiiiui  with  aof  Z  will  pay  yoor  osponaaa  and  hia  thoro.  To« 
oanboauurriodyaDdUvowItbnie, wUlohoiaotHdyinf :  aad,al«v 
lav  that,  my  word  for  tt,  if  hoia  tho  man  yonMpoMani  him  tob% 
ho  will  novor  anflor  job  to  want." 

**  Ooma,"  addod  tba  good  old  man.  who  iiomod  to  badoUftaM 
with  tho  proopoot,  *' wo  will  aaothialoTor  of  yoQia  thia  Tory  ai^hi^ 
and  mafca  all  tho  noooisary  arrangomonta.  z  on  moat  oommtuk 
oato  with  him,  aomahow,  and  got  hia  oonaant  to  tho  plan.  lCiad« 
I  ahall  tako  no  rof  ttsal.  But  wo  matt  got  away  iromhoroto* 
morrow  momiog,  early ;  or  tho  blood-honnda  will  aaant  no  o«i^ 
and  aot  on  our  timok.'* 

••  This  iaThnnday,"  laid  Alioo-"  if  tho  Fathar  Oonoral  doM 
not  hoar  that  you  aro  in  town.  Fietro  will  oall  for  ma^  aa  oaoaL 
to  go  to  ebttroh  with  him ;  ana  if  he  dooa  hoar  it,  ho  will  bo  aaai 
for  mo.  80  that,  in  any  oTont,  I  shall  get  to  sea  Um.  If  yo« 
will  atand  at  that  oomer,"— here  Alioo  pointed outof  tho  window 
to  the  oomer  of  tho  neat  aqoare,  below  the  honoe  in  whioh  thof ' 
wero"**  between  beM-paat  aiz  and  MTon  o'dook  thia  oroning,  wrn^ 
will  paia  that  way,  wnen  you  can  Join  na,  and  wo  oaa  f orthat 
talk  of  yonr  moat  genorona  ofTer." 

**  Affioed,"  aaid  Mr.  Frantiaa;  and,  dkaking  AUoa  ooidially  by 
tho  hand»  ha  bade  hat  ba.  of  good  ooorage^  aid  aU  woald  y^  bo 
wdL 

Fbfinnately  lor  all  of  them,  the  Father  Qeneral  waa,  that  nighl, 
at  the  OonTont  of  the  Annuneiation ;  having  been  lent  for,  poai. 
haste,  by  the  Mbtter  Superior,  who  had  some  important  oommn- 
nieation  to  make  to  him.  Fietro  oalled,  aa  usual,  for  AUoe,  who 
informed  him  briefly  of  what  had  ooourred,  and  of  the  genarooo 
offer  made  to  them  by  Mr.  Frentias ;  and,  in  »  few  minutes^  thej 
joined  the  kind»hearted  old  gentleman,  wno  waa  waiting  for  them 
at  the  oomer. 

The  three  walked  together  for  some  length  of  time;  and,  bo- 
iore  they  perted,  the  offer  waa  aocepted,  aud  the  arrangeaMata 
all  made  for  their  departure,  the  next  day ;  both  Fietro  and  AUoa 
having  most  heartily  thanked  their  benefactor,  and  invoked  the 
blessing  of  heaTon  up6n  him. 

The  mail  statg^e  of  tho  next  day,  going  South,  bore  tho  old  gen* 
tleman,  together  with  tho  ex-nun,  and  formev  private  seoretary ; 
the  two  latter  bearing  no  token  whatever  by  whioh  the  most  aaii« 
tiniiing  oould  have  ttseovered  that  they  over  won  aaored  oideMi 


i     -?■ 


Uptiilii  iif  ■ 


m 


h-m 


dBJ^ranzxT* 


OmptMrtttoortlwIitMMr  Supwlor-A  nvoIsMm  ta  fltecanvMl-ii^lM 
UMumotlOB  mmIM  by  Um  htthar  GMcnW-Alarmtef  lBMllfMM%  «• 
kit  MiMa  to  iTMr  Tom^Hi*  fhuitio  ooodual  ia  awMtgo— o>i 

TnsB  fUyi  bad  tlapMcl  after  tha  dapartiura  of  tha  f  afttiva^  oa* 
dav  tka  oliaNfa  of  Mv.  Prantiat,  wbaw,  lato  ia  tha  altoruooa  of  tka 
foMtb,  tba  FatfaMT  Oaaeral  raUraad  bona,  aara-wora  and  ffkioaiy. 
Ba  had  haaa  oallad  aaddanlv  to  tha  aoBTant,  to  qaaU  a  vavoll 
aaoaa  tha  dubi,  oocaaiooad  b/  tha  tvraunioal  rula  of  tha  MoMmv 
Sapanof,  who  had  baoomaio  oapnoioaaio  har  tampaffaadaa 
,  oaMoaain  har  admiuiitration  of  iha  go? arnmant  of  tha  aalab> 
liahaiaDt.  that  thoia  uodar  har  qiiritaal  oara,  datpairinf  <Mt  la- 
diaai  anlau  affaotad  by  thair  own  act,  had  riaan,  with  oaa  aoowd 
a«d  without  a  loUtary  azoaptioB.  in  opan  raballion ;  and,  dfpui- 
iaa  a  oonmittaa  of  twal? a  of  thair  nnmbar,  aonsiating  of  tha  aoal 
inioantial  oaaa  among  tham,  to  praaaut  to  tha  Suparior  a  lial  of 
thair  griavanoat,  and  to  damaod  ndraat,  nndar  pain  of  baing  ra» 
portad  to  the  Father  Gknend,  in  the  event  of  her  ref oaal,  fth^ 
oeaead  from  all  their  nsaal  aTooations,  and  roamed  about  tha 
buildinfft  at  their  pleasure. 

Deeming  il  her  beet  polioT  to  take  tha  lead  in  oaUing  for  tha 
intarToution  of  the  Oeueral,  she  told  the  oommittee  that  aha 
lioakl  take  the  matter  into  oarfsful  oontideration,  if  they  would 
raiuma  their  dutiea  in  the  conyent,  and,  ae  soon  ai  thoT  had  lelt 
hea  roon^  priTately  deepatohad  a  meeeeoger  for  that  dignitary, 
raqaesting  hia  preaenoe  at  tha  oonTant,  wiihaa  Uttlaoalay  aa 
paeeiMa. 

By  eoma  BMaas,  it  beoama  known  to  tba  nnns,  shortly  after  hia 
departure,  that  a  messenger  had  been  sent  to  thedty;  and,  aii> 
raged  at  the  duplicity  of  the  Mother  Superior,  their  revolt  assasi* 
ed^if  possible,  a  more  serious  ahataoter  than  ever ;  aud,  whaa  tha 
Flikher  (General  arriTod,  it  was  raj^ing  at  its  very  height. 

By  dint,  howerer,  of  persuading  some  bkto  a  good  hMBOvr, 
ft^lgiug  others  who  were  more  resolute  and  obstinate,  and  ra« 
f  ocmiag  some  of  the  abusee  of  which  oomplaint  had ' 


tha  Oeoeral  succeeded  in  restoring  subordination  and  quiet  among, 
tha  rebellious  nuus,  who,  accustomed  as  they  were  to  blind  ana 
implicit  obedieace  t»  their  superiors,  must  have  had  sarionf 
grottuds  for  complaint  before  they  would  have  Tsntured  to  taka 
a  step  of  so  grave  a  character  as  open  revolution.  But.  during 
the  time  that  he  had  spent  at  the  convent,  ha  had  heard  enough 
to  satisfy  hie  mind  that  the  temper  of  the  Mother  Superior  waa 
beoomiug  entirely  too  iinpetuousand  uncertain  to  have  the  charge 
of  so  importent  a  position  as  that  which  she  occupied.  Tet,  suoh 
waa  her  acquaintence  with  his  own  past  history—such,  too,  tha 
estimation  in  which  she  was  held  at  Borne,  as  a  woman  of  extra- 
or^aiT  talents,  and  one  to  whom  the  order  was  greatly  indebt> 
ad  for  W  services  in  promoting  their  intorestom  the  United* 
Siatea ;  and  suoh,  also,  her  powers  aa  an  /utrigant^  that  ha  dared 
not  remove  her,  without  some  act,  on  her  part,  which  should  ba 
ol  so  flagrant  a  character,  and  capable  of  so  dear  and  deoidad 
pioof,  aa  to  admit  of  no  possible  evasion  of  ito  xesulto;  aatdtlUf 
qa  oonld  bardl/  antieipaia  aa  poasibU, 


'  I 


172 


l^tteiifli  of  ft  COBTQIlt 


In  fhii  itata  of  mind,  he  retarned  to  hit  tsridenoe  In  tlwell^y; 
ftnd,  it  may  well  be  suppoaed,  in  no  mood  to  meet  the  ttMrtlinf 
inteiltgence  that  awaited  him.  Qiviag  his  horse  to  the  Rroom  «i 
the  door,  he  entered  the  hall;  hastily  nnlockio^  a  small  bojt, 
which  was  placed  there  for  the  parpose  of  receiTiog  whatever 
documeuts  mis<ht  be  intended  for  him,  in  his  abseooe  from  home* 
he  took  out  of  it  several  letters  and  notes,  and  hastened  to  hi| 
cabinet.  Here,  throwing  these  upon  the  tab]e,  and  helpinf^  hiiil* 
■elf  to  some  flue  old  French  brandy,  which  he  kept  in  a  hqaoi* 
case,  he  sat  himself  down  to  their  perusal ;  for,  elevated  in  dig* 
nity  as  was  the  office  which  he  held,  it  was  no  sinecure :  andt 
whether  at  home  or  abroad,  his  lot  was  to  laboni^  labour,  iaboof 
incessantly,  save  when  at  his  meals,  or  during  the  five  honn^ 
9leep,  which  was  all  the  time  he  could  allow  even  to  this  neeea- 
■ary  parpose,  and  from  which  he  was  aroused  every  morning  by 
an  alarum  clock,  placed  upon  the  mantel-piece  in  his  chamber, 
and  tisea  at  the  early  hour  of  four  o'clock,  winter  and  summer; 
he  knew  cot  what  rest  was.  How  great  the  pity  that  his  truly 
splendid  talents  and  indefatigable  industry  had  not  been  applied 
to  a  more  valuable  and  laudable  purpose  than  in  promoting  the 
machinations  of  Jesuitism ! 

Having  read  several  latters  before  him,  he  took  up  one  of  Iht 
notes,  which  read  as  follows : 

■  "New  York,  Thursday,  9  o'eZoci. 

*' Mosi  Bbvebend  Sib— 

<(  I  have  just  called  to  inform  you  that  a  Mr.  Prentiss,  from 
Louisiana,  is  now  conversing,  at  my  house,  with  Miss  Emilie  de 
Vere,  in  reference  to  her  father's  estate ;  and,  finding  you  from 
home,  your  servant  not  being  able  to  tell  me  where,  I  write  this 
note  to  let  you  know  about  it.    I  will  call  again  at  twelve  o'dook. 

''Your  very  humble  servant, 

"Wm.  WtiMCft,** 

Putting  this  down,  he  took  up  another,  whose  address  was  in 
fhe  same  hand-writing,  and  which  read  thus : 

'*  Thuradajf,  12  o'dook, 

**  Mom  Bbvbbbnb  Fathxb— 

'*Ihavecal)3d  aeain,  according  tc  m;^  promise,  but  still  find 
ou  absent.     Mr.  Prentiss  and  Miss  Emilie  had  a  long  interviei*^ 

is  morning ;  but  what  was  tho  result  of  it  I  know  not,  aa  I  had 
no  opportunity  oi  listening,  nuu  I  cannot  make  much  of  her  looks ; 
though  I  can  see  a  manifest  charge  in  theift,  and  suppose  their 
conversation  must  have  been  of  an  agreeable  character  to  her.  I 
will  call  again,  this  afteruoon. 

"  Your  devoted  servant, 

"  Wm.  wiukxp,'* 

A  third  note  remuned  upon  the  table,  whose  contents  were  as 
follows: 

"  Friday  Morning,  8  <fdoeJk. 

"  Most  "Retsbsstd  Fatheb  Genxbal,  &o,— 
**  Reverend  and  Dear  Sir — I  know  not  what  to  say,  or  what  to  do. 
*I  know  that  you  will  be  angrjr  with  me ;  but  I  assure  you,  most 
solemnly,  that  I  am  in  no  wise  to  blame.  O,  that  you  were  at 
home !  But  I  must  tell  you,  at  once,  *that  Emilie  de  vere  has  left 
my  house,  and  gone,  I  know  not  where.  As  she  did  not  come 
down  to  breakfast,  this  morning,  at  the  usual  hour,  we  sent  up  to 
j^a  rooip,  and  were  astonis^ied  to  leftm  that  she  had  not  spent  tli9 


Ih 


t 


i 
b 
I 

V 

t 


ttr«« 
nnc, 

lidi. 
aor* 
dig* 
and, 


MystflrtOB  of  ft  OoiLYeaiitt 


m 


[by 

Der; 

ruly 

»Ueci 

the 

tht 

rOBB 

I  de 
rom 
this 
Mk. 

I  in 
«». 
lad 


Bir 


u 

h 

>. 
It 

it 
't 

9 
» 


sight  at  home ;  at  leMt.  then  wm  no  appeaianoe  of  the  bed  ha'.. 
lag  been  need,  which  ene  oommonly  oooupief.  Her  trunk  ii  ia 
IMT  room,  unopened  aa  yet,  and  everything  is  in  order ;  while  not 
.ttM  least  trace  oan  be  found  of  where  she  may  be,  If  I  knew 
where  yOtt  were,  I  should  immediately  despatch  a  messenger  for 
yoa;  but,  in  the,  mean  time,  I  will  spare  no  pains  to  find  ner,  if 
Aa  is  in  the  cit^.     When  I  called  at  your  residence,  I  asked,  in 

I onr  absence,  for  your  private  secretary;  but  was  informed  that 
a  waa  not  at  home,  and  had  not  been  siooe  last  night.  Whether 
his  abaence  has  any  thing  to  do  with  that  of  the  missina  gii^,  I 
aannot  tell.  Of  one  thing  I  am  sure,  however,  that  neither  my* 
lalf  or  family  gave  Miss  Emilie  any  cause  of  dissatisfaction ;  and 
ttiiaonly  makes  the  whole  affair  the  more  mysterious. 
**  Awaiting  your  orders,  I  remain,  with  the  greatest  respect, 

"  Your  faithful  servant, 

"Wk.  WnjfOT." 
The  Father  (general  had  read  this  last  note  with  profound  as- 
tonishment, increasing  at  every  fresh  line,  until,  almost  beside 
himself  with  anxiety  and  rage,  he  was  about  to  seize  his  hat,  and 
hasten  to  see  Mr.  Wilmot,  when  his  eye  rested,  for  an  instant, 
npon  another  note.  lying  upon  the  table,  in  the  superscription  of 
which  he  immediately  reco^sed  the  hand-writing  of  the  secre* 
tary.  Seizing  this,  and  teanug  it  open^  with  an  earnestness  which 
indicated  the  feverish  excitement  of  his  soul,  ha  read  the  follow- 
ing astounding  intelligence : 

•'-y«o  Fark,  Thursday  Night,  11  o'doek. 
*<To  the  Father  (General  of  the  order  of  Jesuits  in  the  United 
Stotea. 

"  Bevebemd  Szb, 
**  Before  this  letter  will  have  reached  yon,  the  writer  will  have 
been  placed  at  a  distance  from  th'e  dty,  which  will  effectually 

Ereveut  the  possibility  of  his  being  overtaken  by  you.  Where 
e  is  gone  to,  or  what  his  business,  will  perhaps  but  little  inte- 
rest you,  when  he  informs  you  that  he  has  for  ever  renounced 
Bomanism,  and  embraced  the  cause  of  Protestant  Christianity. 
Tour  past  kindness  to  me  would  not  permit  me  to  leave  you, 
without  bidding  you  farewell,  and  expressing  for  you,  personally, 
my  warm  wishes  for  your  future  health  aud  happiness. 

In  the  first  drawer  of  the  table  in  the  library,  you  will  find  the 
instrument  of  my  conversion  to  Protestaniiism ;  and  the  best 
pledge  I  could  give  you  of  my  sincerity  in  wishing  you  well,  is 
the  request  that  you  will  reaa  that  blessed  volume,  as  I  have 
done,  until  you  "shall  know  the  truth,  aud  the  truth  shall  make 
you  free,"  as  it  has  7ne.  * 

"Very  respectfully  yours, 

'' FiBIBO  DX  LoBKm." 
It  would  be  impossible  to  portray,  iu  language,  the  state  of  ex- 
citement into  which  the  Father  General  was  thrown  by  the  per- 
«sal  of  tills  note.  There  he  stood,  pale  with  rage,— his  eyesfiash- 
ing  fire,  his  teeth  dose  set  together;  while  the  breath  came  thick 
and  fast,  hissing  through  his  expanded  nostrils.  Presently,  dash- 
ing the  note  to  the  fioor,  he  stamped  upon  it,  as  though  it  had 
been  the  cause  of  his  wrath,  instead  of  being  the  mere  vehicle 
through  which  the  enraging  information  had  reached  him. 

**  Purgatory  and  perdition  I''  at  length  exclaimed  the  iufuriat* 
•dJflMiits^WhatisaUUuBr   Is  the  whole  herd  of  inferoalifl- 


m 


i^jrsterieB  ail  a  GonTeiit 


site  Mloofle  upon  BMf  WhAtaezI,  I  wonder  f  This  niiii,tti|t 
I  httTe  broaglit  all  tiM  way  from  Canada,  in  older  to  plaj  eo  ln|« 
portant  a  part  in  the  great  game  for  a  fortune  f<Hr  our  tma«ar#; 
—■he,  too,  I  snppoM,  will  be  fonnd  to  have  embraoed  that  rail- 
gion  of  foola—Proteitantism— and  to  have  eloped  with  this  pioito 
leeretary  of  mine,  who.  iuatead  of  attending  to  my  busiueas,  hfi 
been  rBMinglA«^i&2«/  St.  Ignatius  grant  me  patience!  The 
Tile  hypocrite  seduces  the  nua  from  her  allegiance  to  Hearen  and 
to  the  Chureh — runs  off  with  her — and  then,  with  froaen  impud- 
•noe,  prates  to  me  of  *  the  instrument  of  his  conversion  to  Protes- 
tantism 1* — Oouyersion  to  infamy,  he  should  have  said:— and 
ieHs  me— aye  i  trtis  the  supreme  head  of  the  Jesuits  in  America  I 
—to  *  read  ihat  Biaaanro  volume !'— Curses  upon  it,  and  upon  tha 
brasen-faoed  knave ! — *  as  he  has  done,  until  I  shall  know  the 
truth' — which  his  iufamous  conduct  has  proved  to  be  falsehood— 
*  and  the  truth  shall  make  me  free,  as  it  has  him  /—yes,  he  meanau 
rik9ll  make  me  as  great  a  scoundrel  as  himself.  Holy  Virgin ! 
how  can  I  bear  such  insolence  as  this  F— But  why  stand  I  here 
thus,  when  every  moment  is  precioua— when  they  already  have 
fowr  days  start  of  me  P  I  will  away,  and  take  instant  measures 
for  ttieir  apprehension  and  return  to  New  York ;  if,  indeed,  this 
Is  not  all  pretence  about  their  having  gone  from  the  city.  Who 
knows  but  they  are  now  skulking  in  some  vile  hole  in  this  very 
lAaee ;  while 'this  precious  villain  seeks  to  cover  their  retreat  by 
throwing  me  upon  the  wrong  scent  P  I  will  put  my  blood-houndS 
upon  their  track,  be  they  where  they  may ;  and  it  shall  not  be 
my  f anlt  if  they  are  undiscovered  within  twenty-four  homrs,  if 
they  have  not  left  the  city.  If  they  have,  I  swear,  by  all  th« 
Saints  in  Heaven,  to  pursue  them  to  the  death.  Ah !  they  little 
know  my  power,  if  tney  imagine  that  they  can  find  a  mdiog- 
place  from  my  fury,  in  any  spot  on  this  green  earth.  Thanks  to 
the  Patron  Saint  of  our  order,  we  are  spread  all  over  the  wide 
world ;  and  our  agents  are  everywhere.  Let  me  but  get  them 
once  in  my  power,  and  they  shall  realize  the  f earfulness  of  my 
wrath,  which  they  have  so  boldly  provoked,  and  set  at  deflance.** 
So  saying,  the  enraged  priest  descended  to  the  street,  and,  in  a 
few  minutes,  was  at  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Wilmot,  and  seated  in 
hit  parlour,  waiting  his  return  from  some  business  errand. 


OHAPTEBXXVI.     ' 

nwitagithres  arrive  at  Balttmore— Reside  with  Mr.  Bamnm— A  privats 

wedding— Proceed  in  a  ▼eseel  for  New  Orleans— Pleasures  of  a  sea 

'voyage— Alarm  at  the  appearance  of  a  supposed  pirat»~Prepamttoa 

for  action— Oroundless  alarm— Arrival  at  New  Orleans— Piety  and 

prosperity  of  Pletro  and  Alice. 

Mbanwhuo,  ]£r.  Prentiss  had  reached  Baltimore,  with  his  coin* 
panions,  Pietro  and  Alice,  aud  put  up,  for  a  day  or  two,  at  the 
Indian  Queen,  then  the  beat  hotel  in  the  place,  and  kept  by  thst 
IHrince  of  landlords,  since  gone  to  his  long  rest,  old  David  Bar* 
nam.  Being  an  old  friend  of  Mr.  Prentiss,  the  latter  socn  took 
an  opportnnity  of  mentioning  to  him,  in  confidence,  that  Pietro 
and  iJioe  wen  two  young  friends  of  his,  who  had  run  away  for 
the  purpose  of  getting  married ;  that  he  woulti  much  oblige  them 
hv  Minging  to  the  hotel  some  minister,  to  marry  them  at  sis 
^oaLtbat  •veaing;  but  that  it  moat  ba  done  in  thevjstpid^ 


fato  iWMilito  aiuiner,  wWioiii  MIfog  aaj  of  tile  isnMlM  «f  th« 
lunitjr  know  aofftbioff  aboot  it  Ifr.  Bannim  ptoniwd  Mency ; 
Bade  all  tbo  wommurj  wmmiiMtieDts ;  aad,  at  the  afqMiniad  hour, 
tbo  Iwofoftitiw  Ivrvnmen  anited  in  holy  nairimony,  in  a  pri* 
taila  parlour  «f  tlia  ftaTcra,  b^  the  Rot.  Dr.  lofflis,  then  psator  of 
tha  Firtt  Presbyterian  ohareli  in  the  city ;  no  other  witnenea  be- 
iaajMreeent,  eave  Mr.  Prentia*  and  Mr.  Bsi'uaai. 

The  a«Kt  day,  it  waa  thouffht  advisable  for  the  newly-narried 
aou|rfe  to  «eamn  ai  mudi  in-doors  as  possible,  and  evwn  for  thnn 
to  take  tbeir  meala  in  their  own  room,  to  avoid  all  possibility  of 
•ooonnteriaff  any  one  who  might  be  on  the  look-out  for  them ; 
whilst  Mr.  Fwntfss  made  the  necessary  arrangements  for  their 
dqpaitaia  in  rflae  ship  of  some  three  hundred  toni,  whieh  waa  to 
leaTO  lor  New  Orleans^  on  the  following  dar. 

At  tea  o'clock,  ttie  next  morning,  the  anchor  had  been  weighed, 
Iha  eails  unf  nrled,  the  passengers  all  on  board,  when  the  signal 
wtaa  given,  the  canvass  filled  with  the  freshening  breese,  and  bid- 
ding Mr.  Bamum  farewell,  t>ur  little  party,  in  high  spirits,  aad 
boroful  of  the  future,  were  borne  awav  from  the  wharf  at  Fdf  s 
Pmnt^y  the  noble  vessel  on  whose  deck  they  stood.  Pasrinff 
Fort  ]f<^enry,  they,  after  a  while,  emerged  into  the  beantif lu 
waters  of  the  CSiesapeake,  and,  with  a  smacking  breeze,  soon  pass- 
ed AnsapoHs,  and  reached  the  Gapes,  in  twenty-four  hours  after 
leaving  BalUmore.  •  Here,  the  pilot  having  been  disoharged,  the 
■hip  passed  out  into  the  waters  of  the  ocean,  and  soon  lost  sight 
of  land. 

There  waa  nothing  novel  to  Pietro  in  a  sea  voyage ;  but  to  Alice 
it  was  a  source  of  wonder  and  delight.  The  wide  expanse  of  w»> 
ier— the  upheaving  waves— the  blue  sky  reflected  in  the  great 
mirror  beneath,  where  the  ever  changing  surface  broke  in  cease 
leaa  beauty — ^the  finny  monsters  disporting  in  the  briny  fluid— the 
novel  characters  around  her,  found  in  the  weather-beaten  sea- 
aMo,— the  young  sailor  who  was  making  his  first,  vc^age,— the 
bluff  mate,  and  the  tfranuical  little  captain,  as  he  stircde  the  deck, 
monarch  of  the  kingdom,  his  ship,  over  which  be  re'^nod  with  an 
iron  rule— the  strange  sounds  which  constantly  fell  m'Oi.  her  ear— 
ftase  lUl  afforded,  her  food  for  pleasurable  excitement,  when,  in- 
deed, she  was  well  enough  to  be  on  deck ;  for,  although  she  had 
escaped  ssa-sickuess,  to  a  considerable  extent,  yet  ahe  suffered  a 

good  deal,  at  times,  from  nausea,  which  compelled  her  to  lie  down 
1  her  berth,  for  hours. 

They  had  already  passed  these  points  so  formidable  to  seamen, 
Bermudaand  Cape  Hatteras,  and.were  off  Bahama,  already  round- 
ing into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  between  Cuba  and  the  Florida  Beefs, 
when,  one  morning,  at  day-break,  the  look-out  from  the  mast- 
head cried,  "sail— ho !"  Instantly  the  cry  was  responded  to  on 
deck ;  and  the  captain,  whose  morning  watch  it  was,  having  sent 
for  his  spy-glass,  swept  the  horizon  with  i^,  until  at  last  be  dis- 
covered the  two  topmasts  of  a  rakish  vessel,  peering  just  above 
the  sea,  while  the  hull,  as  yet,  seemed  buried  beneath  its  wave? 
When  first  seen,  the  stranger  was  iitanding  athwart  the  ship,  asd 
cvossing  her  path  in  the  rear ;  but,  as  soon  as  tiie  latter  ^^  a«  din- 
covered  by  the  former,  sheohangedhercourse,  and,  bracing  sharp' 
br  up  in  the  wind,  followed  directly  in  the  wake  of  the  ship,  with 


iba  manifest  .intention  of  ovcchavling  or  overtakiaa  h 

Mon  as  this  nu>iiflsavm  waa  yaxoeivad  by  tha  oaptein,  he  instaaUf- 


in 


MystedM  of  a  Cdntoai 


>  , 


R 


ordtEtd  fh*  gnna,  of  whioh  he  hud  wveral,  to  b«  otoiavd  lor  as* 
tkm— the  faune  facMi  iwiTol,  which  itood  ain£d>ahiM,  to  bo  kNidod 
with  orapo-unot,  and  those  at  ,the  sidei  with  oLun-shot;  the 
iwoffde  and  small  arms  to  be  got  ready,  as  well  as  the  boarding^ 
pikes,  and.  in  short,  all  hands  to  be  called,  and  erery  preparatioii 
made  for  aefenoe.  -  While  this  was  beiog  doue,  Mr.  FrentisSi 
who  had  heard  the  aproar,  came  on  deck,  followed,  in  a  few  mo* 
ments,  by  Pietro,  who  had  also  been  awakened  by  the  unusual 
trampiDK  of  the  men  overhead.  The  former  immediately  offered 
hii  serrioes  to  the  captain,  in  any  way  that  he  might  be  useful ; 
while  the  latter,  doing  the  same,  hastily  returned  to  the  cabin,  to 
aoquaiut  Alice  with  what  was  going  on,  and  to  see  that  her  safety 
was  provided  ior,  in  the  event  of  an  action.  Having  arranged  ft 
■o  that  she  could  retire  into  the  hold,  beneath  the  water  line,  the 
thin  not  being  fully  laden,  whet^aver  the  presence  of  danger  should 
make  it  necessary,  and  having  soothed  her  fears  as  much  aspomd* 
ble.  he  belted  upon  his  body  a  pair  of  large  pistols  with  which  he 
had  provided  himself  before  leaving  Baltimore,  and  went  upon 
the  deck. 

He  found  that  the  sh'-^nger  was  gaining  rapidly  upon  them ; 
for,  while  the  direction  from  which  the  wind  blew  was  unfavour- 
able for  the  rapid  progress  of  the  shfp  through  the  water,  it  wat 
the  very  one  most  suitable  to  the  greatest  speed  of  the  clipper 
brig  whioh  was  coming  upon  them  with  giant  strides.  Her  top- 
nasto  had  first  been  seen,  then  her  topsails,  then  her  lower  sails, 
and  then  her  hull,  rising  black  and  throatoaiog,  as  it  were  from 
the  bosom  of  the  ocean — her  masts  having  that  peculiair  rakish 
appearance,  for  whioh  this  class  of  vessels—^  clipper-built  brigs 
oz  Baltimore— is  so  remarkable.  Now  she  was  within  eight  or 
ten  miles,  "  walking  the  water,  like  a  thit)g  of  life ;"  while  the 
ship  seemed  to  creep  at  a  snail's  pace.  On  she  caiae ;  her  sides 
bristling  with  cannon :  her  deck  filled  with  dark-lookiug  men, 
armed  to  the  very  teeth,  with  cutlasses  and  pistols  stuck  in  their 
belto. 

"  A  pirate !— a  pirate  V*  jmssed  from  lip  to  lip  of  the  stelwart 
erew  on  hoard  the  ship ;  wbilie  not  a  cheek  blanched,  nor  a  nerve 
quivered,  as,  standing  in  squads  by  their  guns,  the  men  looked 
each  other  in  tho  eye,  and  felt  that  they  could  tr.'?^-  each  other, 
and  make  a  good  defence,  in  the  hour  of  need. 

"A  pirate;"  said  Mr.  Prentiasto  Pietro,  while  the  lip  of  the 
latter  quivered,  aud  the  moisture  was  in  his  eye,  as  he  thought 
of  Alice. 

*'  A  pirate !"  said  the  Captain,  in  low  tones,  to  the  crew,  while 
his  small  frame  seemed  to  ezpaud  and  grow  larger,  as,  with  fire- 
flashing  eye  and  flushed  cheek,  he  looked  proudly  upon  them,  as 
brave  defenders  of  his  gallant  ship,  aud  added,  ''  boys— let  each 
one  be  true  as  steel.  Hold  your  fire  until  I  givo  the  order;  and 
we  will  blow  him  out  of  the  water." 

"  Aye,  that  we  will,  sir,''  replied  a  score  of  voices,  in  tones 
.  which  manifested  their  confidence  in  their  commander  and  in 
each  other. 

*'  Up  with  the  ensig^."  cried  the  captain—"  let  us  see  what  co« 
lours  he  bhows." 

Up  went  the  stars  and  stripes,  floating  languidly  in  the  broeze, 
from  the  spanker  gaff.  This  was  immediately  followed  by  the 
exhibifcion  of  the  aame  flag  from  the  stranger. 


l^nrtnies  of  a  ftuTmi 


m 


**  What  doM  thftt  maaD : "  Mkod  the  ocptein,  of  th«  flMto. 

^ I  do  not  know,  sir,  oalen  it  be  to  deoaire  ui.  W«  had  batttr 
keep  a  goo<^  look  oat.  or  we  shall  hare  a  Iraw-ohaaer  tpeakicg  to 
u^  In  a  few  minutes. ' 

"  See,"  said  the  captain, "  there  it  oomes  eren  now."  ,  ~ 

And,  while  he  spake,  there  was  a  cload  of  smoke,  a  flash,  a  re- 
port ;  and  a  shot  from  one  of  the  bow  guns  careered  harmleislv 
past  the  ship,  and  sank  hissing  into  the  water  Just  ahead  of  tM 
good  vessel. 

"  I  do  not  know  what  he  means  1"  remarkeil  the  captain,  '*  un- 
less he  wishes  us  to  heave  to ;  and  that  1  do  not  mean  to  uo,  un- 
less he  comes  abreast  of  us." 

On  came  the  brig— she  was  now  within  a  few  yards  of  the  ship ; 
and,  shootioff  ahead,  wheeled  round  her  bows,  and,  brailing  up 
the  lower  sails,  floated  broadside  to  the  ship,  distant  some  one  or 
,two  hundred  feet. 

"  What  ship  is  that  P"  cried  the  captain  of  the  brig. 

**  The  ship  Mercury,  of  Baltimore— nine  days  ou^  bonnd  for 
New  Orieans.    What  brig  is  that  ?" 

**  The  privatedr  Hero,  of  Baltimore,  cruising  on  the  coast  for 
the  enemy.  Have  you  seen  anything  of  him  P"  was  the  response 
of  the  clipper  captain. 

"Nothing!"  answered  the  commander  of  the  Mercury ;  and, 
with  a  hearty  cheer  from  his  crew,  replied  to  by  three  times  three 
from  that  of  the  brig,  both  vessels  filed  away,  each  pursuing  her 
own  track,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight  of  each  other. 

The  guns  on  board  the  ship  were  again  covered— the  arms  and 
ammunition  put  away,  while  the  captain  invited  his  passengers 
to  breakfast,  and,  drawing  forth  a  bottle  of  fine  old  wine,  offered 
as  a  toast—"  Success  to  the  privateer !"  which  all  drank  with  en> 
thusiasm. 

In  due  time  our  travellers  arrived  at  New  Orleans,  where  Mr. 
Prentiss  procured  horses  for  the  threo,  there  being  no  better 
means  of  conveyance,  at  that  early  day ;  and,  in  the  'bourse  of  a 
week,  Pietro  and  his  lovely  wife  were  domesticated  in  the  hospit- 
able awelling  of  their  kind  host  and  his  most  amiable  compamoU; 
who,  being  apprised,  by  her  husband,  of  the  interesting  nistorv 
of  their  guests,  had  given  them  that  hearty  welcome  for  whiw 
the  South  has  always  been  so  proverbial. 

Here  Alice  soon  made  herself  useful  and  beloved,  as  well  as  re- 
markable for  her  simple  and  consistent  piety  as  a  Protestant 
Christian,  whdle  Pietro,  bending  the  energies  of  his  powerful  in- 
tellect to  the  study  of  the  law,  soon  mastered  its  intricacies,  and 
was  admitted  to  practice  as  a  partcer  of  his  patron,  Mr.  Prentiss. 
In  the  course  of  ten  years,  Pietro  had  become  one  of  the  most 
prooneent  lawyers  in  all  that  region  of  country,  and  was  elected 
to  Congress,  where  he  stood  hi^h  as  an  intelligent,  honest,  and 
eloquent  utatesman,  and  was  distinguised  for  his  high>toiied  pat- 
riotism. He  accumulated  property,  as  well  as  gathered  great 
honours  in  the  practice  of  his  profession ;  and,  when  he  died,  left 
an  ample  fortune  to  his  two  childrei),  the  young  Pietro  and  Alice, 
who  were  worthy  scious  of  a  noble  stock. 

Mr.  Prentiss  never  regretted  the  trip  that  he  had  made  to  the 
North,  in  pursuit  of  his  ward,  Emilie  da  Vere,  nor  his  interview 
with  Alice  Soule,  which  had  resulted  so  mysteriously  in  the  res- 
cue of  a  most  iuterestiug  couple  from  the  httuds  of  a  cruit'  and 


I 


m 


ttysteiies  of  a  OonTent 


Uood-fhlnty  ptneeation,  which  would  hare  be«n  th«  mre  imaAi, 
had  ihif  liDgahur  interpodtion  of  Divine  FroTidenoe  not  beon 
nade  in  their  f  aTour— and  it  wae  to  hiih  a  sonroe  of  high  jpratifl- 
eation  to  relate  the  particulars  of  ibair  history  to  hit  mende, 
whencTcr  occasion  served,  and  tu  hiaye  them  rocorded  among  his 
papers^  as  a  reminiscence  of  events  which  had  occurred  in  b(s 
own  history  in  a  diary  of  his  life,  which  he  made  for  the  use  ot 
his  children. 


CHAPTER  ■  XXVn. 

Ihs  Fftther  General's  interview  with  Mr.  Wilmot— An  sngry  dispntetlon 
—Crimination  and  re-crimination— Tiie  arch-plotter  vows  rengeance 
against  hid  tool— Proceeds  to  put  his  throat  in  execution— Interrieir 
with  Mr.  Ketchutn— The  Father  Oenerai's  orders  to  him— Sconts  sent 
in  all  directions,  in  search  of  the  fugitives — All  search  in  vain— Mr. 
Wilmot  and  his  fiamily  ruined,  and  turned  out  in  the  streets— Tidings 
of  the  lost  fiigitives,  nom  Pather  Beaupres. 

Waleft  the  Father  General  seated  in  the  parlour  of  Mr.  Wilmot| 
awaiting  his  return  from  some  business  errand  in  town,  and  will 
now  look  in  upon  the  interview  which  occurred  between  tbeso 
two  worthies. 

When  Mr.  Wilmot  returned  from  down  town,  m  he  exiled  it, 
he  found  the  Father  General  in  no  amiable  mood ;  and,  nc  iiooner 
nad  he  opened  the  door  of  the  room  in  which  the  latter  was  seat- 
ed, than  the  General  began  a  tirade  of  abuse,  which  was  o|  the 
fieircsst  character.  He  upbraided  him,  in  the  coarsest  language, 
for  connivance  at  the  escape  of  the  nun,  and  told  him,  to  his  face, 
that  he  was  a  liar  and  a  scoimdrel.  Mr.  Wilmot,  although  a 
Oatholic,  and  a  pliant  tool  in  thv<)  hands  of  the  Jesuits,  having  ac- 
complished for  them  many  a  dirty  piece  of  intrigue,  waa  yet  a 
man  of  some  independence  of  feeling,  as  well  as  of  verv  stroag 
and  irritable  temper,  and  could  not  wholly  repress  the  risings  of 
resentment  at  the  unreasonable  conduct  of  the  General,  who, 
borne  away  by  disappointment  at  the  flight  of  Pietro  and  Alice^ 
would  listen  to  no  excuse  upon  the  part  of  Mr.  Wilmot,  but 
sought  to  wreak  his  vengeance  upon  the  latter,  whom  he  persist* 
ed  in  considering  as  an  accomplice.  This  the  latter  resented,  and, 
forgetting  himself,  indulged  in  some  imprudent  retorts,  which 
but  incensed  the  priest  the  more ;  until  both  were  ezdted  to  the 
highest  pitch,  and  fiercely  hurled  at  each  other  epithets  which 
could  have  only  come  from  the  lowest  and  most  degraded  con- 
victs of  our  prisons  and  penitentiaries.  At  length,  the  General, 
full  of  malice,  and  conrit^ced  '.  bis  own  mind,  that  it  waa  wholly 
impossible  tb&t  the  escape  of  Alice  should  have  been  without  the 
Oonnivance  of  Mr.  Wilmot,  said  to  him : 

*'  Ton  shall  smart  for  this,  you  scoundrel.-  Yon  have,  for  pur- 

Soses  of  your  own,  and  disreii^ardful  of  the  interests  of  the  church, 
ared  to  brave  my  anger,  and  aid  this  girl  in  her  escape,  or  at 
least  connived  at  it,  to  the  great  detriment  of  those  interests— 'tis 
well ;  you  shall  feel  the  weight  of  my  anger  before  forty-eiffht 
hours  nave  rolled  uver  your  head.  Mark  well  what  I  say.  Wil* 
liam  Wilmot,  your  doom  is  sealed  I" 

Bo  saying,  the  General  left  the  parlour,  slamming  to  the  door 
with  violence  behind  him,  and,  with  his  countenance  flushed  with 
anger,  went  forth  into  the  street  and  sought,  with  hurried  steps, 
Us  own  dwelling. 


^ 

■* 


Uysterlfls  of  a  OonTeiit 


179 


Having  wiiTed  at  homa,  and  aaoendad  to  hii  oaUiMt,  ha  dnw 
from  the  iron  safe  a  large  red  pocket-book,  and  opening  it,  took 
ont  a  small  packet  of  notes  of  hand  for  Tarions  amounts,  and 
fkom  these,  three,  to  which  was  aflzed  the  name  of  William  WU- 
mot,  ail  of  them  dated  some  time  back,  dae  one  day  after  date, 
and  amountinfr  to(rether  to  six  thousand  seren  hundred  and  flftv- 
'  two  dollars,  with  interest  from  their  date ;  and,  hastily  penning  a 
iiote,  rang  the  bell  to  summon  a  serrant.  On  the  appearance  of 
the  latter,  he  handed  him  the  note,  and  bade  him  take  it  to  Mr. 
Ketchum,  the  lawytsr,  and  bring  back  an  immediate  answer. 

In  about  twenty  minutes,  the  servant  returned,  and  informed 
his  master  that  Mr.  Ketcbiim  awaited  his  pleasure,  in  the  draw 
ing-room  below. 
^  **  Show  him  up,"  was  the  response  of  the  Father  General,  who 
was  deeply  engaged  in  the  examination  of  soma  papers  which 
Wdre  lying  upon  the  table  before  him. 

Mr.  Xetchum,  meanwhile,  was  introduced  into  the  cabinet) 
within  whose  walls  he  was,  by  the  way,  quite  intimate,  having 
frequently  visited  them  before ;  and  being  seated,  the  Geueral  pro- 
ceeded to  tell  him,  as  much  as  ho  deemed  necessary  of  the  arrival 
Mid  subsequent  flight  of  the  nun,  requesting  Mr.  Ketchnm  to 
take  immediate  steps  for  the  quiet  siiaroh,  throughout  the  city, 
for  the  fugitives ;  telling  him  that  he  would  give  him  one  thou- 
sand dollars,  if  successful,  and  pav  all  the  expenses  incurred. 
The  lawver,  having  received  from  the  General  a  written  descrip- 
tion of  the  personal  appearance  of  the  fugitives,  was  about  to  re- 
tire, for  the  purpose  of  instituting  search  after  them,  when  the 
Father  detained  him,  for  a  moment  to  say  that  he  wished  him  to 
take  the  three  notes  which  he  handed  to  him,  present  them  for 
-immediate  payment,  a^d  if  not  paid  at  sight,  to  bring  suit  upon 
them,  and  get  the  m^    v  'mmediately. 

The  lawyer,  who  was  a  nominal  member  of  the  Baptist  church, 
but  really  a  Jesuit  in  disguise,  bowed  low,  and,  promising  to  com- 
ply with  the  instructions  of  the  General,  and  to  lose  no  time, 
withdrew  to  carry  them  into  effect.  In  the  course  of  two  honrS| 
not  less  than  thirty  men  were  exploring  the  city,  in  every  direc- 
tion, in  pursuit  of  the  runaways,  and  inquiring  at  every  probable 
-^r  possible  source  for  information,  but  in  vain ;  while  so  quietly 
was  this  investigation  mads,  and  so  systemized,  as  to  the  district 
or  quarter  of  the  dty  in  which  each  of  the  agents  pushed  his  in- 
quiries, that  not  one  of  these  thirty  agents  knew  anything  of  the 
rest,  nr  that  tiiere  were  others  besides  himself  engaged  in  the 
pursuit. 

Meanwhile,  an  officer  appeared  at  the  store  of  Mr.  Wilmot,  and, 
taking  him  to  one  side,  presented  the  three  notes  for  payment, 
informing;  him  that,  if  they  were  not  paid  iustantly,  suit  would 
be  brought  upon  them,  and  the  money  made,  without  regard  to 
the  consequences. 

Mr.  Wilmot  turned  deadly  pale,  aud  told  the  officer  that  he 
could  not  possibly,  at  so  short  notice,  raise  such  an  amount ;  but 
that,  if  he  could  have  four  or  five  days  iu  which  to  do  it,  he 
thought  he  might  possibly  save  himself  from  ruiu,  by  procuring 
assistatice  from  some  of  bis  friends.  Tlie  officer  informed  him 
that  his  orders  were  peremptory,  aud  on  his  being  told  that  Mr. 
Wilmot  had  not  the  money,  and  could  .i>ot  pay  the  notes,  he 
served  a  writ  upon  bim,  and  took  the  legal  steps  necessary  to  se- 
cnre  the  property  iu  the  establishment  from  being  made  away  with. 


.Jl^ 


180 


Mysteries  of  a  Gonyent 


In  ten  dayi  from  fhftt  tim«»  the  itore  of  Mr.  Wilmof^  with  all 
tta  eontente  and  the  fomitoreof  his  dwelling,  were  eoldnndeir 
execution,  and  himeelf  and  family  turned  into  the  itreete,  beg^ 
gated.    The  Pather  Qeneral  was  aveuKed. 

No  efforts,  howerer,  that  he  could  put  forth,  by  means  of 
agents,  bj  writing  letters  abroad,  or  otherwise,  could  procure  any 
tidings  of  the  fugitives,  until  at  length  a  letter  came  from  the 
Father  Beaupres,  at  B&ton  Rouge,  informing  him  of  the  arriYi^t  at 
that  place,  of  Mr.  Prentiss,  together  with  a  young  man  ani  his 
wife,  both  of  foreign  features,  who  were  Protestants,  howerer, 
and  inmates  of  his  familyj  but  about  whom  he  could  learn  no- 
thing. From  the  description  given  of  their  persons,  nevertheless, 
the  Father  General  became  convinced  that  they  were  the  fugi- 
tives, and  immediately  wrote  to  his  correspondent  at  B&ton  Bouge, 
stating  his  conviction  on  the  subject,  and  repairing  the  priest 
there  to  give  him  constant  information  of  their  movements,  and 
to  learn  all  he  could  about  them.  Such,  however,  was  the  high 
xeepectability  of  their  protector,  and  his  and  their  own  vigilance, 
as  they  knew  that  they  would  be  watched,  and  their  lives  be  in 
Jeopardy,  that  neither  the  Qeneral  nor  his  subordinate  ever  dared 
to  do  aught  against  them,  or  to  their  injury. 


M  CHAPTER  XXVllI. 

Qrowlng  abuse  of  power  by  the  Mother  Superior— The  Father  Genet.  ^  re- 
solves to  remove  her  by  a  violent  death— The  Mother  Superior  deiuT- 
mineson  a  similat' fate  for  him— Double-dealing  of  Sister  Martina— 
By  her  exasgerated  reports  of  the  Father  Oeneral'B  intrigues  with  the 
nuns,  the  Mother  Superior  wrought  up  to.  a  state  of  freDzr— Fiendish, 
exultation  of  Martina  at  thb  success  of  her  scheme— The  instrument! 
of  death— Soliloquy  and  prayer  of  the  Mother  Superior— Change  lit 
her  deportment. 

Mbaitwhile,  the  Mother  Frances  was  becoming  more  and  asor^ 
involved  in  difficulty  as  regarded  the  administration  of  rule  in 
the  Oonvent  of  Annunciation.  The  nuns  were  turbulent  and  re« 
bellious.  The  Father  General  received,  from  his  private  agents 
in  the  establishment,  accounts  of  the  tyranny  and  oppiiassion  of 
the  Mother  Superior ;  but,  as  yet,  nothing  had  been  done  by  her, 
which  would  alKord  him  the  opportunity  for  which  he  had  so  long 
waited— nothing  that  would  justify  her  removal  or  degradation. 
At  length,  wearied  out,  and  his  patience  exhausted,  for  he  was 
frequently  called  upon  to  visit  the  convent,  and  to  interpose  his 
authority  for  the  adjustment  of  the  difficulties  which  daily  arose 
between  the  ruler  and  the  ruled,  he  at  last  determined  to  take 
the  matter  into  his  own  hands,  and  to  adopt  a  course  which 
would  accomplish  the  desired  end,  without  leaving  any  possibil- 
ity of  disagreeable  consequences  to  himself.  In  short,  he  deter- 
mined to  hasten  the  departure  of  the  good  Mother  from  the  scene 
of  her  tribulation  and  trial,  and  to  place  her  in  a  situation  to  be 
canonized  as  a  saint ;  rightly  believing  that  the  nuns  of  the  Con-, 
vent  of  the  Annunciation  would  much  rather  worship  her  as  a 
taint,  enrolled  among  the  deyeurted  worthies  whose  names  are  so 
numerous  among  the  devoteee  of  the  Catho^  church,  than  ob(^ 
her  as  a  tyrant  on  earth ;  and  that  once  out  of  the  way,  no  par- 
ticular inquiry  would  be  made  bv  the  inmates  of  the  convent,  as 
to  the  mode  of  her  death ;  while  her  friends  and  admirers  abroad 
oould  be  put  off  with  any  plausible  tale.    Having  aixiTed  at  fthii 


MyiterieB  uf  a  Oo&TBiii 


181 


Mriabl««OBo1iirfon,  theOenaBBlonlj  awaited  a  fitting  opporta- 
ai^;  and  for  this  ha  did  not  wait  Tery  long. 

The  Mother  Superior,  on  her  part,  however,  had  strangely 
enough  arrived  at  a  determination,  not  lest  full  of  good  intention 
and  of  canonization  for  the  Father  General,  than  his  for  her.  She 
had  beoome  apprized,  in  due  time,  not  only  of  what  had  taken 
place  between  the  General  and  the  deceased  Sister  Theresa ;  bnt 
through  Sister  Martina,  whom  the  former  had  unwittingly  of- 
fended, and  who,  at  once,  to  avenge  herself  upon  the  General, 
and  to  mortify  and  annoy  the  Mother  Superior,  concealed  notiiing 
of  what  she  knew  to  have  transpired,  for  years  past,  in  the  hig> 
torv.of  his  connection  with  the  nuns  of  the  convent,  the  Superior 
had  learned  all  ahout  his  intrigues  and  coquettiugs  with  the  fair 
sisterhood.  Nor  had  the  statement  made  to  her  been  one  of  plain, 
unvarnished  facts,  but  had  been  greatly  exaggerated. 

Sister  Martina  told  her  that  the  Father  General  never  visited 
the  convent,  without  spending  a  portion  of  his  time  in  the  room 
of  this  or  of  that  nuu  ;  that  he  sometimes  met  them  iu  the  garden, 
and  sometimes  received  visits  from  them  in  his  own  room  ;  that 
she  had  more  than  once  gone  to  the  door  of  the  latter,  when  she 
knew  that  he  had  a  nun  with  him,  and,  putting  her  ear  to  the 
key-hole,  had  listened  to  their  whispering  conversation,  and  had 
overheard  remarks  made  about  her,  that  were  of  the  most  offen- 
sive character.  Indeed,  the  Sister  Martina,  iu  these  conversa- 
tions with  the  Mother  Superior,  spared  not  hnr  imagination,  but 
deliphted  to  draw  largely  upon  it,  while  she  rejoiced  iu  her  very 
heart  at  the  writhings  of  her  listener,  as  the  poison  of  jealousy 
and  hatred  diffused  itself  through  her  dark  and  malignant  soul. 
With  all  the  self -possession  of  the  Mother  Superior,  the  workings 
of  her  mind  would  betray  themselves— would  speak  out  from  her 
oountenance,  as  the  blood  boiled  in  her  veins,  and  thoughts  and 
purposes  of  vengeance  sprang  up,  clamorous  for  execution. 

Sister  Martina  had,  by  her  address,  wormed  herself  into  the 
ooufldeuce  of  thd  Father  General,  and  had  made  herself  necessary 
to  his  purposes.  She  was,  in  fact,  at  that  very  time,  carrying  on 
for  him  an  intrigue  with  a  young  and  handsome  nun  in  the  con- 
vent, who  had  but  recently  taken  the  vows  of  the  order,  and  who 
was  one  of  the  converts  from  Protestantism,  made  out  of  the  fa- 
mily of  boarding  pupils.  This  intrigue  she  did  not  hesitate  to 
communicate  to  the  Mother  Superior— and  to  apprise  her  that, 
on  that  day  week;  Sister  Paulina  had  consented  to  see  the  Father 
General,  in  the  garden  of  the  convent,  in  a  pretty  little  summer- 
house  that  had  been  erected  about  a  year  before,  and  was  now 
covered  tliickly  with  clematis  and  other  prettv  vines  iu  full  bloom; 
the  hour  of  their  meeting  to  be  midnight.  Thanking  her  for  the 
informntion,  the  Mother  Superior  kissed  the  Sister  Martina,  with 
preat-a]>parent  affection^  and,  bidding  her  be  discreet,  and  say  no- 
thing to  the  General  about  the  conversation  that  had  taken  place 
between  them,  dismissed  her,  for  the  present,  saying  that  she 
would  resume  it  at  another  time. 

Sister  Martina  turned  away  with  an  expression  of  high  satis- 
faction upon  her  wrinkled  and  ugly  features ;  while  her  deform- 
ed person  receded  from  the  presence  of  her  Superior,  with  the 
stealthy  tread  and  almost  tortuous  windings  of  a  serpent ;  and, 
when  she  had  reached  her  room,  she  exclaimed  witn  a  laugh, 
which  was  like  that  of  a  fiend  who  has  acoompUahed  aome  infei^ 
nal  purpose. 


182 


llystdTies  of  a  Gonyent 


**  Eft  1  ha  I  how  th«  poiioQ  works  I  How  iho  writhod  la  mf 
hands,  m  I  1st  looss  the  sooqiions  of  jsalousy  and  rass  in  hsv 
Boal  I  How  pals  sho  bet  rns,  and  thsa  how  tluihsd  I  Ha  I  ha  I 
It  doss-ms  ffood  to  sse  her  thus  tortured.  I  kuow  how  to  Uf 
with  her  feelioffs,  aud  my  reTeage  for  all  the  insults  and  in j  ud>'-'i 
she  has  bsapsd  upon  me,  shall  be  to  take  her  in  my  hara  a«  £ 
would  a  poor  earth-worm,  and  my  soul  shall  late  itself  with  ven« 
geanoe,  as  I  see  hers  writhin;;  iu  a^ony  before  me.  Thus,  too» 
will  I  haye  satisfaction  for  the  insult  offered  to  me  by  the  Father 
General.  He  called  me  the  dwarfish  Tirgin,  did  he,  when  talk- 
ing with  Sister  Paulina,  and  laughed  at  the  idea  of  my  ne?er 
having  had  *  an  offer  of  matrimony  K  "Tin  well,  I  will  goad  this 
Mother  Superior  until,  driven  to  desperation,  she  shalt  oommiii 
some  deed  of  violence  ;  and  then  will  I  be  revenged  on  both." 

The  Mother  Superior  had  retired  to  her  oratory,  and  there  was 
engaged  in  walking  up  aud  down  the  small  room ;  her  counten- 
ance now  deadly  pale,  as  though  she  were  suffering  mortal  agony, 
aud  now  suffused  with  crimson,  as  though  the  feverish  blood 
would  burst  the  veins,  and  leap  forth  impatient  of  restraint.  Vio- 
lently agitated,  she  gesticulated  angrily,  while  she  at  times  mut- 
tered to  herself  words  of  angry  resolution  and  of  dark  and  bloodv 
Eurpose.  At  length,  she  puused  for  a  few  moments,  and,  with 
er  fore-finger  and  thumb  supporting  her  chin  as  it  rested  upon 
them,  her  arms  folded  upon  her  bosom,  she  stood  sternly  think- 
ing ;  then,  approaching  the  escritoire,  she  unlocked  it,  and  draw 
forth  a  short  dagger,  enclosed  in  a  silver  sheath,  and,  taking  it 
from  the  scabbard,  felt  its  point,  with  great  care,  as  if  she  wpuld 
assure  herself  of  its  sharpness  aud  readiness  for  use.  Apparently 
satisfied,  she  replsc  j'J  it,  aud  then,  approaching  a  small  table  on 
one  itidft  of  the  room,  npon  which  stood  a  beautiful  work>box,  in- 
laid with  mother  of  pearl— the  gift  of  the  Father  (General  in  other 
aays— sh3  uuiock#d  it,  and  drew  forth  a  small,  white  paper,  neat- 
ly folded,  which,  on  being  opened,  was  found  to  contain  a  whitidi 
powder.  This  she  looked  at,  for  a  moment,  with  a  mingled  ex- 
pression of  joy  and  saduess,  and,  putting  it  back  iuto  its  recepta« 
ole,  resumed  her  walk,  from  time  to  time,  audibly  9xpressing  nisr- 
self  thus : 

**  'Tis  a  life  of  toil,  and  care,  and  anxiety,  at  best :  why  should 
I  wish  to  live  P 

'*  He,  whom  alone  I  have  loved  in  all  the  world,  has  ceased  long 
since  to  care  for  me— has  long  deceived  me— and  now,  lovei 
another— he  must  atone  for  his  infi>'1elity  to  me. 

"  His  vile  paramour  shalt  perish  iu  Lis  arms. 

"  I  will  be  avenged  !'* 

Thus,  communing  with  her  own  thoughts,  she  spent  an  hour  or 
more,  and  theu,  throwing  herself  upon  her  kuees  before  the  cru- 
cifix, bent  her  head  in  prayer  to  the  Virgin,  while  she  implored 
'*  the  Mother  of  Gud"  to  aid  her  in  the  purposes  which  she  had 
formed.  Thus  do  the  self-deluded  devotees  to  a  soul-destroying 
superstition,  insult  high  Heaven,  by  imploring  their  objects  c« 
worship  to  assist  them  iu  the  accomplishment  of  the  most  diabo* 
lical  of  crimes.  - 

Having  completed  her  orisons,  she  arose,  calm  and  tranijuil,  and 
went  forth  from  the  oratory,  with  firm  determination  j^ritten  up- 
on her  brow,  and  with  a  plaoidness  of  manner  whioh  did  not  fail 
to  attract  the  attention  ox  the  inmates  of  the  family,  and  was  ra- 


w 

01 

li 
h 
k 

t( 

a 
U 


<  • 


Kyiteries  of  a  Gonyant 


1B8 


f«cted  to  bj  mort  than  on*  of  thtni  af tor  the  oooiimno«of  •tmiIi 
wUoh  tnuupind  within  th«  nast  t«n  days,  and  whoM  ndtal  wfll 
oorapy  tha  anrainff  ohaptar.  Indacd,  mora  than  ono*,  during  tida 
hitarral,  tha  attention  of  tha  nuns  was  attraotad  to  thaTarjrpaoa- 
Uar  daportmant  of  the  Mothar  Saparior,  who  saamsd,  at  times,  to 
be  (rreatly  abstracted  in  thought,  yet  to  have  suddenly  grown 
kinder  in  the  treatment  of  those  around  her,  and  Toluntarily  to 
to  commend  herself  to  their  rofiard,  by  the  reformation  of  soma 
abuses,  and  the  institution  of  soma  regulationi  wliiob  oonducad 
to  their  comfort 


ras 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

The  Father  General's  Tislt  to  the  cotiTeiit— Hie  eov 
ception— The  Mother  Superior  Huddenly  <'hnf) 
aocuaes  him  of  inconstancy — He  solemnl    d> 
reiterates  the  charge,  and  requests  liini  to  iw 
is  false,  ere  she  will  believe  him— She  Htabu  li 


18  and  affliblere* 

H(*'  iieanour,  and 

sation— »he 

i-gin,  that  it 

ing  the  oath 

.  by  the  Mo* 


—Paulina,  another  victim  to  her  giiiltv  pn;; 

ther  Superior,  in  the  arbour— Destroys  uerHel'    y  puuoa. 

SoMX  eiffht  days  after  the  time  of  the  last  conversation  which  oc- 
curred between  the  Mother  Superior  and  Sister  Martina,  asrelat* 
ed  in  the  preceding  chapter,  the  Father  General  paid  a  visit  to  tha 
Convent  of  the  Annunciation. 

He  was  received,  by  the  Superior,  with  an  unusual  degree  of 
kindness  and  affability ;  an  unusual  manifestation  of  gratifica- 
tion at  his  arrival,  which  did  not  fail  to  attract  his  notice ;  and 
when,  on  inquiry  of  several  of  he  nuns,  in  private,  they  inform- 
ed him  that,  for  a  W3ek  past,  a  remarkable  change  seemed  to  have 
eome  over  the  spirit  of  their  ruler ;  that,  in  short,  she  had  spoken 
to  them  in  tones  of  kindliness— had  made  several  important 
changes  in  the  establisliment,  of  her  own  accord ;  and  had,  dur- 
ing that  time,  been  very  much  reserved,  it  is  true,  and  had  worn 
a  very  pensive  countenance,  yet  had  given  no  fresh  occasion  for 
complaint— the  General  was  surprised,  yet  pleased,  and  began  to 
imagine  that,  at  length,  without  any  effort  on  his  part,  the  Mo- 
ther Superior  had  determined  to  change  her  policy ;  while  ha 
was  not  a  little  grati6ed  to  think  that  he  would  not  be  compels 
led,  after  all,  to  resort  to  a  mode  of  redress  which  was  really  ra- 
pugnaut,  even  to  his  feelings,  unscrupulous  as  he  was  in  regard 
to  the  adoption  of  means  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  ends : 
ever  acting  upon  the  prime  motto  of  the  order,  that  **  tha  ana 
seinctifies  the  means." 

He  was  introduced  into  the  parlour  of  the  Convent,  where  tha 
nuuB  and  boarding  pupils  were  assembled  to  greet  him.  The 
Mother  Superior  exerted  herself  to  entertain  him  ;  her  noble  con- 
Tersational  powers  appearing  to  be  taxed  to  their  utmost,  to  make 
the  visit  a  most  agreeable  one.  The  tea-table  was  supplied  with 
several  unwonted  delicacies,  which  were  freely  shared  in  by  all 

Jiresent.  Happiness  and  coateutmeut  sat,  for  the  time,  on  all 
aces,  while  uone  seemed  to  enjoy  the  occasion  more  than  the  Sn- 
perior.  The  Father  General  was  surprised,  yet  deceived— and 
sought  in  vain  to  read  the  couotenauce  of  the  Superior.  She  met 
bis  eye  without  quailing,  and  appeared  to  look  upon  him  with 
unusual  affection.  Whatever  were  her  real  feelings,  they  wera 
ao  completely  disguised  as  to  be  beyond  the  reach  of  detection. 
Ko  one  for  a  moment  dreamed  of  the  possible  ooourranoe  of  any* 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


^     ^ 


4^ 


1.0 


I.I 


11.25 


2.0 

1.4    11.6 


^^ 


7 


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PhotDgrajiiic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WBT  MAIN  STREiT 

WEBSTIR,N.Y.  MSSO 

(716)  S72-4S03 


m 


Hystorles  of  &  OonTontt 


thing.  In  tbe  ooone  of  a  few  houn,  whioh  would  fill  erary  nliid 
with  horror,  and  cause  even  the  dark*hearted  Martioato  tremMa 
with  affright.  It  was  a  sceue  of  masterly  acting  on  the  part  of 
the  Superior ;  only  fluding  its  ooanterpart  in  that  which  took 
place  in  her  private  parlour  and  in  her  oratory ;  within  the  t#o 
or  three  hours  immediately  succeeding  the  pleasant  interview  of 
the  members  of  this  numerous  family  around  the  tea*tabla— or  in 
ttiose  in  which,  at  different  periods  in  the  history  of  the  Jesuits-^ 
their  brightest  geniuses  have  exhibited  the  most  perfect  coutrol 
over  every  thought  and  feeling,  as  well  as  over  every  physical  or> 
can  which  could  outwardly  cOuvey  an  idea  of  what  was  passing 
interoally,  and  in  which  tbe  mantle  of  fairest  hypoorisv  has  been 
thrown  over  the  darkest  and  most  damnable  intents  ana  purpose!. 

Bisioff  from  the  tea-table,  the  Mother  Superior,  with  her  moat 
graceful  and  winning  manner,  invited  the  Father  General  to  tha 
private  parlonr,  for  conference,  as  she  said,  upon  the  affairs  of 
the  convent,  and,  preceding  him,  led  the  way  to  that  room  whidh 
had  witnessed  so  many  curious  interviews  between  theae  two  ia« 
markable  characters. 

Having  entered  this  retired  apartment,  where  no  prying  ^a 
oould  reach  them,  the  Superior,  naving  fastened  the  door,  as  ua 
nsnally  did  when  die  had  any  very  important  communication  to 
make,  most  courteously  invited  the  Gkmeral  to  be  seated,  and, 
placing  herself  by  his  side  upon  the  sofa,  took  his  hand  in  bars, 
and,  in  tones  of.  ^he  softest  note,  recalled  images  of  the  past, 
scenes  which  haa  long  gone  by,  and,  while  the  tear  stood  in  her 
aye^  lingered  upon  reminiscences  of  endearment  and  of  fondness 
which  were  common  to  them  both,  and  vhith,  while  they  east  a 
sadness  upon  her  features,  touched  his  heart,  and  melted  it  into 
an  unwonted  mood,  covered  over  as  it  was  with  the  cmst  of  sei- 
'  flshness,  and  indurated  by  the  feelings  and  dark  purposes  whidi 
had  so  long  dwelt  there.  He  joined  freoly  in  the  conversation, 
and  seemed  to  take  pleasure  m  gratifying  the  state  of  mind  into 
which  the  Superior  had  fallen. 

Thus  passed  away  an  hour,  when  the  Superior  arose,  and,  push- 
ing aside  the  sliding  panel  which  separated  the  private  parlour  ia 
which  they  were  seated,  from  tbe  bed-chamber,  invited  the  Glen- 
era!  to  visit  her  oratory,  where  she  had,  she  said,  something  to 
show  him.  Passing  through  the  chamber,  they  soon  stood  in  tto 
room  beyond,  whercj  opening  a  small  cabinet,  she  showed  him  the 
various  presents  which  she  had  received  from  him,  from  time  to 
time,  arranged  together  upon  the  shelves.  Here  was  the  pretty 
work'box  inlaid  with  mother  of  pearl ;  a  richly  bound  breviary, 
with  golden  clasps;  a  beautiful  crucifix  in  ivory ;  a  variety  of  or- 
naments in  gold,  gemmed  with  rich  jewels  ;  several  volumes  in 
eleirant  bindings ;  and  many  articles  of  price  and  vertu ;  all  of 
which  she  seemed  to  have  treasured  up  with  great  care,  and  to 
have  presei'ved  as  tokens  of  affection.  Putting  her  arm  around 
him,  and  reclining  her  head  upon  his  shoulder,  while  she  pointed 
to  these  gifts  thus  arranged  in  their  beautiful  receptacle,  she  said 
to  him,  in  accents  which  fell  upon  his  ear  with  peculiar  signifi- 
cance, and  which  caused  him  to  tremble,  he  knew  not  why,  yetao 
as  to  be  evident  both  to  her  and  to  himself,— 

'*  Francois,  once  you  loved  me ;  but  now  you  love  me  not.  Tha 
evidences  of  vour  former  affection  I  have  gathered  together  hare^ 
and  hare  dangfated  to  look  upon  them.      It  is  pleasant  fodktao 


1 


]|jBt8ll6B  of  ft  OoUffiUti 


186 


•inLallliovsIt  fhat  aireetioii  ii  now  tnunfomd  to  Miotliiu',  and 
IMM  Daen  ahand  with  othan,  while  I  fondly  thought  it  wai  all 
mj  own." 

**  Ton  wrong  me,  Louiw,  indeed  you  do,"  replied  the  General. 
.  ''Nay,  Fraucoie,  do  not  attempt  any  longer  to  deceive  me,  nor 
,  yonnelf.  You  love  me  not.  Another,  now  in  this  boilding,  hai 
jour  affactibnt— you  know  it— Gh>d  knows  it." 

*"Tis  false  as  midnight  is  remote  from  noon-day!"  oried  the 
Jesuit. 

**  Aud  yet  at  midnight— but  two  hours  hence— you  are  to  meet 
Paulina  in  the  arbour  in  the  garden.    Is  it  not  so  r" 

''It  is  not  so,"  replied  the  General.  *« Paulina!  Paulina!"  he 
added,  suddenly  assuming  a  thonghtf  ul  attitude,  as  if  endeavour- 
ing to  call  some  one  to  bis  mind  whom  he  bad  forgotten~"  Pau- 
lina—I  know  no  one  of  that  name— who  is  she  i^' 

"The  young  nun  who  but  recently  took  the  veil." 

**  Ah !  I  recollect  her  now,"  responded  the  General—"  I  reool- 
leot  her  now,  but  have  never  seen  her  since  the  dayupon  which, 
in  the  chapeL  she  assumed  the  religious  habit.  Who  can  have 
told  you  that  I  was  to  meet  her  in  the  garden  to-night  P" 

"  ao  matter  who  told  me,"  said  the  Mother  Superior,  "  if  it  be 
not  so.  You  know  how  I  loved  you— with  what  rare  affection. 
It  is  no  ifTondw  that  I  should  be  Jealous,  when  I  am  oonsoious 
that  I  grow  old,  aud  that  my  attractions  are  not  what  they  once 
iprere.  But  no  matter— if  you  are  sincere  in  what  you  have  just 
said— if  you  really  are  not  pledged  to  meet  Paulina  in  the  arbour 
to-night,  at  midnight,  place  your  hand  upon  that  crucifix,  and 
svrear,  by  tiie  Virgin,  that  it  is  not  so ;  and  I  will  believe  you,  and 
love  you  with  all  my  heart's  deepest  love." 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  the  Jesuit  approached  the  orn- 
dfix,  and,  standing  with  his  back  towards  the  Mother  Superior, 

{>la0Bd  his  baud  upon  the  symbol  of  his  faith,  and  made  the  so* 
emn  declaration  of  his  undivided  attachment  to,  and  affection 
for,  ber. 

Meanwhile,  as  he  had  advanced  to  the  crucifix,  and  while  his 
hand  was  placed  upon  it,  the  Superior  had  drawn  forth,  frott'her 
bosom,  the  dagger  whose  point  she  had  examined  with  such  caro 
a  few  days  before,  aud,  stepping  up  quietly  behind  him,  just  as 
he  pronounced  the  words— 

**  I  call  upon  thee,  most  Holy  Mother  of  Gk>d,  to  witness  tiiat  I 
love  Louise,  and  Louise  on  earth — ** 

She  plunged  the  daj^ger  to  his  heart,  crying,  as  she  did  so— 

"  Perjured  wretch !  di^^'and  go  to  perdition,  with  the  damning 
falsehood  yet  trembling  upon  thy  lip.  Go,  reap  the  abuudans 
harvest  of  your  falsehood  and  treachery,  in  the  regions  of  eternal 
faifamy  and  woe !" 

With  a  cry  of  mortal  agony,  the  Father  General  fell  to  the 
floor,  suddenly  turning  half  round,  as  the  weapon  penetrated  bis 
vitals,  so  as  to  fall  not  upon  his  face,  but  upon  his  side ;  and  the 
blow,  having  been  but  too  fatally  aimed  at  his  heart,  a  convulsive 
throe  or  two  ensued,  and  Louise  stood  alone,  there  iu  her  ontory, 
with  the  dead  body  of  Francois  Jubert  lying  at  the  foot  of  the 
dmcifls,  upon  which  he  had  but  the  moment  befori  perjvred 
himself. 

Louise,  the  Mother  Superior,  drew  from  her  podket  a  handksK- 
ohief,  with  which  she  carefully  wiped  the  Made  td  tha  daggar; 


^^c. 


iS6 


HjMim  of  a  Gnarat 


m4  lhel^  itplMiiiff  Iht  lattar  in  ifti  diMtl^  Mid  thiowittg 
keraliiaf  upon  tlM  floor,  di*  itood  idr  •  few  momoiti  with  hk 
ftrmsfold«a,lookiiiffdownnpon  ihedMdbody.andthaiozoUiimtd— • 

**  If  thon  be  an  honaitM',  Fnuiods  Jubeurt,  yoa  are  now  in  per* , 
dition,  and  I  am  avenged  lor  the  wrongs  joa  haTO  done  me^  Two 
hbure  more,  and  ehe,  whom  yoa  woula  have  rained,  this  nighty  .^ 
aa  you  have  ruiued  me,  will  oe  in  eternity  too  1  I,  too;thaUqttiet«  4 
ly  follow.    The  morning's  sua  will  arise  to  see  os  pale  and  gnast-' 
ly,  and  to  tell  to  the  world  the  story  of  woman's  love,  of  woman's 
reTeuge  I    Francois,  I  will  soon  be  with  yoa." 

80  sayiag,  she  turned  away,  looking  the  door  of  the  oratory  be- 
hind her,  as  she  entered  the  bed*chamber,  i|fnd  throwing  herself 
lipon  the  bed,  remaiaed  quietly  there  until  the  oonyent  olook  told 
the  hour  of  midnight. 

Arising  from  her  oouch,  she  threw  a  cloak  around  her,  and, 
drawing  the  hood  over  hat  head,  passed  through  the  priyate  par* 
lour,  carefully  lockins  the  door,  and  groping  her  way  along  the 
corridor,  and  down  the  great  stairway  uutil  reaching  the  back 
door,  she  went  out  into  the  dark  night,  and  stealthily  advanced 
to  the  garden.  Here  she  found  the  sate  closed ;  and,  rightly  sup* 
poring  that  no  one  as  yet  had  passed  before  her,  she  entered,  and 
hastened  to  the  arbour.  Here,  listening  for  a  moment  to  ascertain 
U  any  one  were  there,  she  entered,  aira,  taking  her  seat,  awaited' 
the  ooming  of  the  Sister  Paulina. 

The  arbour  waS  boustruoted  of  lattice  work,  with  large  interral^ 
bnt  was  so  thickly  overgrown  with  clematis  and  other  running 
vines,  as  that  whatever  little  light  was  emitted  from  the  stars  was 
entirely  excluded,  and  all  was  darkness  within.  Yet,  as  the  ^n- 
trancee  were  at  either  end,  one  seated  within  could  very  distinctly 
recognize  the  person  of  him  or  her  who  should  seek  to  enter. 

The  Superior  had  not  been  long  seated  before  a  light  step  was 
heard  advancing  towards  the  arbour  ;  and  presently  she  cuatin- 
gttished  the  figure  of  the  Sister  Paulina  peering  into  the  dark- 
ness, as  if  endeavouring  to  ascertain  if  any  one  were  there. 

f*  I  will  seat  myself  for  a  while,"  she  said, "  until  he  comes.  He 
will  be  here  presently." 

So  saying,  she  entered,  and  seated  herself  directly  oppodte  to 
the  Superior,  who,  having  previously  drawn  forth  the  same  dag- 
ger which  she  had  used,  a  short  time  before,  for  the  destruction 
of  the  Father  Gtooeral,  suddenly  sprang  forward,  and,  seizing  the 
trembling  girl,  before  she  had  time  to  scream  or  to  make  the  least 
resistance,  plunged  the  weapon  into  her  bosom,  exclaiming,  as  she 
did  so— 

**  Die,  base  wanton  ;  I  am  the  Mother  Superior." 

The  poor  girl  was  not  instantly  killed ;  and  the  Superior,  find- 
ing this  to  be  the  case,  gave  her  two  sucoesrive  stabs  with  the 
sharp  instrument,  before  signs  of  life  ceased  to  be  exhibited;  then, 
throwing  down  the  weapon,  by  the  side  of  the  dead  body,  she  Ufl 
the  arbour,  and,  regaining  the  building,  went  up  stairs  to  her  cham- 
ber ;  leaving  the  door,  leading  directly  into  it,  unlocked.  Gk>ing 
to  a  tsble  upon  which  stood  a  deoanteor  of  water  aud  a  goblet,*  sb« 
took  from  her  bosom  the  folded  paper,  which  she  had  looked  at 
in  her  oratory,  a  few  days  before  ;  and  pouring  its  contents  into 
the  water,  die  drank  the  poisoned  liquid,  without  pausing  or  he- 
dtatton.  Then,  lying  down  upon  her  conch,  she  oompoasd  her 
Umbi  dMtntly,  and  wmi  fell  into  ft  lethacgy^  nom  the  effeotsof 


M^ysterifl!  of  a  Gonyeni 


W 


)^ 


4 


Um  polKmoiif  drag  the  had  •mdlowed.  Anon  th«  potion  btgon 
to  work  iti  deadly  offioe ;  and,  ere  the  light  of  morning  dawned 
on  the  conTent,  the  Mother  Superior,  burdened  with  all  her  orimai^ 
was  summouea  into  the  presence  of  her  Maker. 

Thna  nerished,  by  her  own  handj  this  extraordinary  woman, 
who,  haa  she  been  earlv  trained  up  in  the  priuoiples  of  »  pure  and 
holy  religious  life,  mi^ht  haTO  become  an  omameut  to  her  sez.. 
Deprived,  in  early  life,  of  the  care  and  attention  of  her  mother, 
ana  subjected  to  the  stem  and  almost  nnparental  temper  and  die- 
poaition  of  her  father,  she,  no  doubt,  earlV  imbibed  ome  of  those 
Incipient  traits  of  character  which  so  <awf ully  marked  her  future 
nilty  career.  And  tbeo,  another  important  adjunct  in  smother- 
uig  her  better  feelings  was,  the  circumstance  of  her  being  sub- 
jected, in  the  days  of  her  youtb,  to  be  a  sufferer  from  the  direful 
events  which  overspread  her  unhappy  country,  during  the  reign 
of  terror  that  marked  the  French  revolution.  But  the  great 
source  from  whence  sprung  the  turbid  streams  which  blackened 
and  defiled  her  future  life,  was  unquestiouably  to  be  traced  to  the 
soul-destroying  dogmas  and  vile  superstition  which  so  peooliarly 
characterize  the  Bomish  system.  She  was  undoubtedly  a  woman 
of  strong  passions ;  and,  for  the  accomplishment  of  her  purposes^ 
and  the  attainment  of  any  object  she  had  bent  her  mind  upon, 
no  obstacle  appeared  too  difficult  for  her  to  surmount,  nor  any 
orime  too  heinous  for  her  to  perpetrate,  so  that,  bv  so  doing,  she 
might  be  enabled  to  gratify  her  pride,  her  lust,  and  her  ambition. 
To  rule  and  domineer  over  others  was  her  darling  object ;  and 
woe  be  to  that  daring  individual  who  called  in  question,  or  en- 
deavoured to  thwart,  her  authority !  No  subtlety  or  cunning 
could  circumvent  her  vigilance.  She  was  a  thorough  Jesuit ;  and 
duplicity  and  subterfuge  were  allies  which  she  had  ever  rei^y  at 
command,  to  assist  her  in  any  nefarious  project  on  which  her 
mind  was  bent.  In  short,  she  was  a  fit  instrument  to  carry  oat 
the  great  object  which  Popery  has  ever  aimed  to  accomplish,' 
namely,  to  increase  the  number  of  its  deluded  victims,  however 
base  and  dishonourable  the  means  employed  to  accomplish  that 
object,  and  to  destroy  heretics,  and  every  other  obstacle  that  op- 
posed the  succdss  of  this  unholy  design. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

Alarm  and  consternation  in  the  convent— Discovery  of  the  deaclbodle»~ 
The  bodies  of  the  Mother  Superior  and  Sister  Paulina  laid  in  the  same 
grave— All  effor  s  to  elucidate  tlie  mystery  in  vain— The  offices  of  Fa- 
ther Oeneral  and  Mother  Superior  lilUd  up— Partial  revelations  and 
suspicions  of  the  dying  Sisier  Martma— Closing  remarks. 

Gbeat  was  the  consternation,  the  next  morning,  in  the  o;>nvent, 
when,  after  matins,  from  which  the  nuns  missed  both  the  Father 
General  and  the  Mother  Superioi^ias  well  as  the  Sister  Paulina— 
a  servant  went  to  the  room  of  the  Superior,  and  found  her,  after 
iueflPectually  knocking  at  the  door,  stretched  lifeless  upon  her  bed ; 
her  very  handsome  features  wearing  a  very  slight  indication  of  a 
momentary  pang  of  pain. 

The  servant  was  norror-struok  at  what  she  beheld,  and  soon 
raised  the  idarm,  by  her  cries,  when  the  room  was  quickly  throng* 
ad  by  the  astonished  and  terror-stricken  nuns,  who,  gazing  at 
ttia  corpse,  and  then  in  one  another's  faces,  seemed  to  aw  <^  eadi 


M 


l^rsterlflB  of  a  CronTent 


olbtr  tlM  qvaMaHOf-'**  Who  hat  doiM  thin  F"  No  aatpmr.  hoiT' 
ever,  wu  returned :  and  ail  was  enTeloped  in  myiteiy,  ;,jerpMsify, 
and  Tear. 

A*  soon  as  the  ezoitement  respeotinf  the  deceased  Mother  So* 
perior  was  somewhat  abated,  the  attention  of  the  nuns  was  di- 
rected to  the  misuuK  Father  General.  Search  was  made  for  him, 
thouKhout  the  convent,  iu  every  room  to  which  they  could  gaik 
access,  but  be  was  nowhere  to  be  found  ;  and  they  gave  over 
their  eudeavours  to  find  him,  under  the  impression  that  ha  had 
left  the  oonveut. 

The  anxiety  of  the  nuns,  on  account  of  the  non>appearanoe  of 
the  Sister  Fauiina  amongst  them,  was  liot  so  great;  as  they  ima* 
gioed  she  might  be  detained  in  hor  cell,  through  indisposition. 
Great,  however,  was  the  consteruation  and  dismay  of  the  whole 
sisterhood,  when,  an  hour  or  two  after  finding  the  body  of  the 
Mother  Superior,  two  or  three  of  the  nuns,  who  were  walking  in 
the  gardeu,  entered  the  arbour,  and  there  found  the  dead  body  of 
Sister  Paulina,  stabbed  in  three  places,  and  surrounded  by  a  pool 
of  blood.  They  were  almost  petrified  with  astonishment  and 
dread,  and  looked  around,  expecting  that  some  assassin  was  lurk- 
ing rear,  and  that  they  might  probably  be  the  next  victims.  Be- 
covering,  however,  from  their  stupor,  they  summoned  assistance, 
and  had  the  body  conveyed  into  the  house. 

At  length,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day,  after  they  bad 
interred  the  Motner  Superior  and  the  Sister  Paulina,  an<r  that 
most  strangely  too,  in  the  very  same  grave,  it  occurred  to  some  of 
the  nuus  that  they  had  not  looked  iuto  the  oratory.  This  they 
found  locked;  but,  on  breaking  into  the  room,  how  they  were 
shocked  to  discover  the  lifeless  form  of  the  Father  General  upon 
the  floor,  lying  at  the  foot  of  tiie  beautiful  crucifix.  Everything 
in  this  room,  as  in  the  bed*chamber  and  iu  the  private  parlour, 
wore  an  air  of  intense  repose.  There  were  no  sigos  of  violence, 
or  of  mortal  struggle  between  contending  parties.  Who  could 
have  perpetrated  the  dark  deeds  which  met  the  gaze,  of  the^uns, 
and  of  the  priests  who  had  been  summoned  to  their  aid,  in  the 
oratory;  the  bed>ohamber,  and  the  arbuur  iu  the  garden  f 

It  was  a  mystery  which  none  could  uuravel.    And,  taking  into 
consideration  the  high  position  of  at  loast  two  of  the  parties — 
the  head  of  the  order  of  Jesuits  in  the  United  States — the  Supe- 
rior of  the  Convent  of  Annunciation— there  was  a  daring  attaih-  • 
ed  to  the  perpetrator  of  the  deed,  which  showed  that  the  assassin 
was  of  no  common  order.  * 

Every  uun,  every  iumate  of  the  family,  was  carefully  and  most 
rigidly  scrutinized,  questioned,  and  cross-questioned,  but  all  in 
vun  ;  nobodv  knew  au^ht  about  it,  save  those  who  had  been  ac- 
tors in  that  dreadfully  tragedy,  and  they  were  past  being  ques* 
tinned.  Sadness  and  gloom  fell  upon  the  inhabitauts  of  the  con- 
vent. The  suite  of  rooms,  hitherto  appropriated  to  the  Mother 
Superior,  were  carefully  locked  up — every  tning  remaining  just  at 
she  left  it,  and  continued  so  for  years. 

The  place  vacated  by  the  death  of  the  Father  General  was  duly 
filled— >that  of  the  Mother  Superior  was  also  supplied<-the  dead 
had  been  buried  and  well-nigh  forgotten,  when,  at  length,  the 
Sitter  Martina  came  to  lie  upon  her  death-bed ;  and,  consoienoe 
prompting  her,  she  tent  for  the  then  Superior  of  the  convent,  and 
itlattd  to  htr  the  «TtQti»  in  the  life  of  her  predecessor,  with  whioh 


m 


Arteries  ofa  Gonyeni 

flw  ^jring  Bun  itood  In  anywiit  eonneotodj  the  wnTamtioiui 
whio&liad  token  pkoe  between  lihe  Mother  Franoet  and  henelf : 
her  jeelooey  and  writhings  under  the  feelinge  which  the  eondaot 
of  the  Father  General  had  awakened  in  her  boiom ;  and  the  ms- 
fiieione  that  were  arouied  in  the  mind  of  Sister  Martina,  on  the 
diaooTery  of  the  dead  bodies*  that  the  Mother  Frances  herself  was 
the  murdered  of  the  Qeoeral,of  the  nun,  and  then  had  taken  poi- 
son  to  destroy  her  own  life. 

There  seemed,  to  the  Mothef  Superior,  to  whom  this  relation 
was  made,  but  too  much  nound  to  belicTe  that  it  was  as  the  dy- 
ing nun  saspected ;  but,  beyond  these  suspicions,  there  was  bat 
little  positive  evidence  of  any  kind.  ' 

The  threats  uttered  against  Julia  Moreton,  as  recorded  in  ano« 
fher  portion  of  this  work,  and  their  fulfilment,  will,  together  with 
the  erents  transpiring  in  the  life  of  Pietro  di  Lod'etti  and  his  wife, 
subsequent  to  their  settlement  in  Louisiana,  ailord  material  for  a 
oontinuation  of  the  story,  should  the  reception  of  that  which  is 
now  given  to  the  public,  be  such  as  to  iodiice  the  writer  to  ven- 
ture upon  a  second  application  of  his  pen  to  a  sort  of  composition 
to  which  it  has  been  hitherto  a  stranger.  He  does  not  pretend 
to  My  that  any  of  the  personages  of  this  drama  are  zeal,  nor  any 
of  the  events  which  he  has  recorded  are  true ',  but  he  does  believe 
that  events,  not  wholly  dissimilar,  have  occurred,  and  may  occur 
again.    He  does  believe  that  the  true  spirit  of  Jesuitism  has  been 

Krtrayed;  and  that  dark,  and  forbidding,  and  abhorrent,  as  may 
the  picture,  it  but  too  faithfully  depicts  the  principles  ma 
practices  of  an  order  which  requires  vows*  of  poverty,  chastity, 
and  obedience,  only  in  order  to  wealth,  to  impunity,  and  to  sen- 
sioal  indulgencr  — to  the  subversion  of  civil,  religious,  and  intel- 
lectual liberty,  and  to  the  substitution  of  an  iron  oppression  and 
a  bloody  superstition.  He  has,  in  short,  written  his  story  in  as 
strong  terms  as  he  was  capable  of,  in  order  to  qrmboliae  that 
which  cannot  be  too  darkly  or  too  strongly  coloured,  and  in  re- 
ference to  which,  after  all  that  has  or  can  be  imagined  of  it^  it 
may  stUl  be  affirmed  that  tnUh  is  itruHger  themjtction. 


CONCLUSION. 

8ii8ima|[y--Le88ons  to  be  gained  from  a  right  uie  of  the  namttve^Thd 
duty  of  parents— Oantions  to  young  persons— Ccnnectlon  between  Po- 
pery and  infidelity— Sure  downfall  of  enror  and  superstition— Eamast 

"^    entreaty  to  embrace  the  truth. 

Iir  reviewing  the  foregoing  narrative,  the  reader  may  perceive 
some  very  important  lessons.  The  first  is,  that,  when  we  sustain 
the  responsible  office  of  parents,  we  should  be  very  careful  in  the 
training  and  culture  of  the  minds  of  the  children  committed  to 
Qur  care.  The  second,  that  the  impressions  we  imbibe  in  the  days 
of  onr  childhood  and  youth,  have  much  to  do  with  our  career  in 
after-life.  The  third,  that  we  should  be  very  cautious  how  we 
give  ear  to  those  who  are  ever  ready  to  instil  uto  our  minds  er- 
roneous and  pernicious  principles  and  tenets,  which,  if  fostered 
and  cherishea,  may,  eventually,  peril  the  safety  of  our  never-dy- 
ing souls.  There  are  other  important  lessons  to  be  gained  by 
the  caieful  perusal  and  diligent  study  of  this  narrative;  bi^ 
fhese,  for  the  present,  shall  saffioo  lor  the  purj^oM  of  m  short 
oonuDo&t* 


190 


li^fitadfli  of  ft  OoniQllti 


'IbtMtMfiwputttltValiridkfhatMBMnlMid  •Umalwtf- 
ftft  of  thdr  o<h|>siiif ;  and  jH,  how  oflin  uit  fli»  wnthal,  fraw 
A  BiiUkfii  polior  w  WMit  of  nroiMr  Judgmont,  tho  eouM  thoy* 
teko  lor  tbo  attainnMnt  of  throbjoot  tb«T  hvn  «l  hMit,  to  tbi; 
OM  diamotrUNiUy  oppoMd  to  tho  MMomplUbntont  of  thdr  wiahot. 
Tbb  hat  boon  «i«np:^llad  in  w&wtnl  intitnoM  in  tho  oouni  of  tkif^ 
BtmtiTo.  Pumits,  who  had  a  oooMitDtioas  dread  of  tha  anf*. 
of  Popaty,  yat  without  i^riontly  reflaoting  on  tha  stap  thay  was! 
taking,  hava  plaoad  their  ohildran  in  the  very  Tortez  of  tba  afilt 
fhey  moat  dreaded.  Beware,  then,  I  aay  agtdn,  parante,  how  jon. 
Mt  in  regard  to  tha  training  and  enlture  of  those  who  are  daa# 
to  yon. 

But  what  ehall  X  lay  to  those  who  are  in  tha  momint  of  life  T 
—whose  prospcets  are  bright  and  glowing  with  fanded  happinesi 
in  store  for  their  future  j^f  t  Tou  have  not  yat  begun  to  es- 
nerienoe  the  realities  of  life ';  but,  be  assursd,  those  realities  wiU 
M  dark  and  troublesome,  or  briRht  and  cheering,  aooording  aa 
yon  oommenoe  your  oarser  in  life's  Journey.  Tou  are  surround- 
ed by  temptationa ;  and  one  false  step  may  be  produotiTe  of  in* 
aaleulaMa  misery  in  this  world,  and  aTerlastinff  woe  in  another. 
Store,  then,  your  youthful  uiinds  with  the  truths  of  Ood*s  word; 
these  will  guide  and  direot  you  in  tha  devioua  path  whidh  you 
may  hava  to  tread;  and  will  preTont  you  from  listening:  with  a 
willing  ear,  to  tlf  a  wily  sophinry  of  those  who  would  endeaTOur 
to  lead  you  astray  from  tiie  path  of  reetitude  and  truth,  into  tha 
wvr  that  ends  in  destruction,  misery,  and  eternal  death. 

The  present  age  is  peculiarly  remarkable  for  the  strenvous 

Sortious  which  uie  enemies  of  the  pure  and  unadulterated  reli- 
n  of  Jesus  Christ  are  making  to  mring  discredit  upon  its  diTine 
itrines  and  precepta.  InflMlity  (and  I  Consider  the  Bomish 
superstitions  as  nearly  assimilated  to  infidelity  as  any  false  sys- 
tem can  be)  is  openly  and  unblushingly  adTocated  in  the  ears  of 
congregated  thonsanda  of  our  fellow-creaturea.  There  are  Je- 
iuito,— not  belonging  to  the  Bomidi  aystom  only, — going  about 
tha  length  and  breadth  of  our  land,  striying  to  propagate  their 
ionl-destroyin(|[  principles,  and  imbue  the  minda  of  the  ignorant 
and  unwary  with  error,  superstition,  and  unbelief.  But  what 
avail  f  iul  their  puny  elforte  will  be  abortiTO,  and  will  recoil 
upon  their  own  heads. 

Who,  thathaTcread  tha  foregoing  pages,  but  must  shudder  at 
Uia  harrowing  aeenes  and  the  dreadful  acts  thenin  prtrayad  P— 
AfiA  these  an  the  consequences  of  the  blind  implicit  faith  in  a 

Srstam  npugnant  to  tha  genius  of  OhristianiW.  Boman  Catho- 
dsm,  aa  it  ja  belieTcd  and  practised  in  most  of  the  monasteriea 
and  oonrants,  is  a  system  that  Is  fmught  with  tha  grossest  delu- 
sions, and  pregnant  with  the  most  calamitous  results  to  those  who 
belteta  in  na  fallacious  doctrines.  Many  who  hare  held  high 
plaoee  in  the  Catholic  chorch^n  past  ages,  have  been  tained  with 
the  blackest  crimes ;  and,  eTJsn  in  the  present  d%y,  then  aro  dig- 
niteriea  in  that  church,  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  whose  liTca 
and  oonduct  an  as  diiferant  from  the  lives  and  oonduot  of  tha 
^  Apoatles,  aa  light  is  from  darkness.  I  would  not  be  unoharitoble^ 
and  denounce  all  who  an  connected  with  that  denomination. 
Then  an  good  men  to  be  found  aibongst  that  body;  but,  token 
•a  a  whole,  the  great  majority  an  designiog,  base,  hypocritical, 
and  treacherous.     Butitiatha  ijstem— nOiigiott  it  can  searoflj 


<> 


l^ritlriM  of  ft  OBBTflllt 


m 


%■  «IUd-^wliiA  X  dtnooiMt :  It  it  dotdy  eonnteltd  with  laidtl- 
fkf,  aad  if  tlM  MUM  of  moMoriBM  and  ■Dfftrliig  flwti  tny  oUmt 
i(jfNMB  Ihit  pffsrills  UDMigtl  auakind.  **  OooM  onl  of  haft  IhM, 
■nrpoopI«^Midb«T«MpMat«;toiioliiiott]MimolMii  thing,  IMI 
j/lpKiUod."  . 
Thotiin«iaa|i|noftdiinf,  whan  Popnj,  and  otmy  othor  fkiM 
Bi  of  wonbip,  thall  givo  pUoo  to  tho  gonuino  and  vnadnltam- 
worahip  of  tha  trua  and  liTiog  Ood,  and  of  hit  8oa.  Jaana 
'I :— whan  tha  miita  of  ignoranoa  and  ■npantition  ahall  bt 
1  away  br  tha  light  of  tha  lifa^giving  baama  of  tha  Word  of 
TnOi, .  Tai,  Babylon  must  fall ;  tha  Mothar  of  Harlota  mutt  ba 
bfonghtloW;  andimagaaand  oroeiflzaa,  and  avary  otbar  idol) 
■hallDa  eaat  away ;  and  paoplaa  and  nations  shall  Sand  tha  knaa 
to  Jaana,  and  aekuowladga  him  Lord  over  all,  blasaad  for  avar- 
Bora !  May  all  who  raad  thasa  pagas,  ba  instmmantal,  throngh 
tha  blassinff  of  Almighty  Ood,  in  nastaning  that  gloiioaa  tinu^ 
whan  tha  kingdoms  of  ihia  world  '   "  ' 


Ood,  and  of  Ua  Ohrist 


shall  baooma  tha  kingdomaof 


